Parthenium Awareness Week (16th to 22nd August, 2023) was observed at ICAR-CIWA, Bhubaneswar

Parthenium Awareness Week was observed at ICAR-CIWA by organizing a number of activities to spread awareness among staff members, farm workers, as well as farm women in different villages. The staff members of the institute actively participated in Parthenium eradication drive by removing the weeds present outside the institute. ICAR-CIWA campus and farm area are now a Parthenium free campus.

To spread the awareness in adopted villages a mass awareness was organized on 16-08-2023 in Champapedi village of Nayagarh District. A sensitization programme was also organized for farmwomen on 21.08.2023, in Dhanahara village of Khordha District in which farmwomen of Scheduled Caste community were apprised of the harmful effects of Parthenium weed and they were advised to maintain Parthenium free homestead and public places. Hundred farm women in the two villages also participated in the farmer-scientist interface on composting method of the Parthenium weed for its proper utilization.

The programme was coordinated by Dr. Laxmi Priya Sahoo, Senior Scientist (Seed Technology), Dr. Ankita Sahu, Scientist (Fruit Science), Sri Manoranjan Prusty (Senior Technical Officer) and Sri Bhikari Charan Behera (Senior Technical Officer) of ICAR-Central Institute for Women in Agriculture, Bhubaneswar.