Hamirpur crop collection centre being used to dump garbage

Dinesh Kanwar

Hamirpur, August 14

The crop collection centre of the Himachal Pradesh Crop Diversification Promotion (HPCDP) Project near the office of Deputy Director of the Agriculture Department, is being used as a garbage dumping site in the town. The centre, which came up in 2018 at a cost of Rs 40.95 lakh, was built in collaboration with the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA).

The sources in the department said that the centre could function for only few weeks and was soon closed following low response from farmers and official apathy. It has been now shut for almost three-and-a-half years.

JICA sponsored

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• The centre, which came up in 2018 at cost of Rs 40.95 lakh, was built in collaboration with the Japan International Cooperation Agency
• Built to provide a facility where farmers could bring their produce and market it after grading and packaging. It also has cold storage facility
• Made to store the crops grown over 284.49 hectare land. Villages brought under the project included Amned, Kahravin, Rahjol, Panjhali and others

Meanwhile, the residents started using it to dump their waste. The waste is seldom cleared either by the department concerned or by the town municipal committee. Also, the road in front of the centre, which is also littered with waste, leads to the medical college, drinking water supply scheme and cremation ground of the town.

Project Director of the HPCDP Dr Sunil Chauhan said the centre would be put to proper use soon. The project representatives have conducted meetings with the farmers of the area and soon an agreement would be signed with them for the best use of the building.

The centre was made to store the crops grown over 284.49 hectare land.