Aiming to develop the economic status of the three adopted villages under Unnat Bharat Abhiyan, Brainware University has implemented a project on ‘Hybrid mushroom cultivation technology’. In this project, a hybrid mushroom strain called pfle hybrid (Mallick et. Al., 2014) having bio efficiency more than 100% has been used. This hybrid is developed by somatic hybridization between oyster mushroom Pleurotus Florida and shiitake mushroom Lentinula Edodes having an important quality i.e., presence of beta-glucan, an anti-cancerous polysaccharide. However, using simple paddy straw as substrate the cultivation is done. Five families from three adopted villages (total 15 families) participated in the training program where they completed it successfully and are now continuing with the mushroom cultivation. The products are being sold at the local vegetable market at Rs.250.00 per kg. The overall plan is executed as per the VDP designed and it was a grand success as every family is now generating income of ₹3000-3500 per month.
Brainware university also launched an e-commerce portal https://brainweb.in/krishak-saathi/ which will be used in the marketing of the produced mushroom food products (as recommended by expert committee).
Hybrid mushroom cultivation (left); Meeting with the Self-Help Group (SHG) (right)
Meeting of Brainware University faculty members with Faldi and Panshila villagers
The villages of North 24 Parganas, West Bengal are severely affected by arsenic which gets dissolved in the groundwater table. To cater to this issue, Brainware University successfully established a model rainwater harvesting unit in the university campus as an alternative source of drinking water instead of using groundwater. The same rainwater harvesting model will be established as a 5 lt tank for rainwater harvesting in Faldi school.
Brainware University was also involved in the below activities -
More Unnat Bharat Abhiyan activities are being planned for the development of adopted villages.
