Mehsi block of East Champaran district of Bihar is famous for the button industry. A large number of people are engaged in making buttons as well as other ornaments from shells found in abundance in river Gandak, which flows nearby.
The Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) on July 3 last installed a V-Sat. The satellite would help farmers within 40 km radius to gather all sorts of information for modern farming and get related problems solved through video-conferencing with eminent scientists of the Organization stationed in Chandigarh, Amritsar and Pusa in Delhi and Samastipur district of Bihar.
Besides, the farmers would be able to know 48 hours in advance about the flood and rains in the region.
Not only that the poor people of the region can get medical suggestions from doctors of Vellore, Chennia, Jaslok (Mumbai), Apollo and AIIMS (New Delhi) and IGIMS, PMCH, DMCH, Regional Institute of Medical Science (RIMS) in Jharkhand at the nominal charge of Rs 40. Farmers would get information about the changing climate condition as well.
Since the entire Himalayan foothill falls in the seismic zone this centre would warn the people regarding natural calamity related to the huge movement under the earth, such as earthquake. The advance warning would help reduce the damage, said Albert, the marketing executive of Tarahat, which is working under the joint collaboration of ISRO and Microsoft here.
It is the first endeavour of its kind and would enable the rural folk of Champaran to know about the ecological changes regularly taking place in the country and world, said Amar, a social activist.
Source: Bihartimes 26/July/2008
