Alternative: Human trafficking victims to produce biofuel from plant extracts

Sanchita Aich Bag  |  MP  |  7 Feb 2023  |   SILIGURI: At a time when petrol and diesel prices are escalating, vehicles and diesel locos are all set to be fueled by fruits. To top it all up, victims of human trafficking will produce the fuel. The process is already in place in North Bengal. The magic plant is Pongania Pinata. 

The Botany department of North Bengal University researched the plant and the process to extract biodiesel. The leaves of this tree look like bell leaves. The height of the tree is five feet. 

Around 500 people are associated with planting and nurturing those plants in various places in North Bengal. With the help of the department of Social Forestry of the state government, the president of the Darjeeling District Legal Aid Forum Amit Sarkar started the cultivation of this plant in village areas. He created a ‘Pinata Fan Club’ to rehabilitate the trafficking victims of such areas. In 2017, Sarkar had come to know about this plant and biofuel from the Botany department of North Bengal University. 

He saw these plants grow abundantly in the Matigara block of Siliguri. As he works with victims of human trafficking, he envisioned that this could be a great way of making the victims economically self-reliant thereby taking care of rehabilitation. 

He then sent proposals for cultivation to the West Bengal Forest and Social Forestry departments. After getting approvals from those departments the forest provided them with land for cultivation near the Ashighar area in Siliguri. He distributed the plants and started an awareness campaign about the plant and its benefits. 

Professor of the Botany Department of North Bengal University Palash Mandal said: “As the number of vehicles is increasing by the day, getting diesel will be a big problem in the coming days. This tree takes five years to bear fruit. In that case, making biodiesel from this plant won’t be a problem. It is economically viable too.” 

At present, there are more than 100 such fan clubs in four blocks of Siliguri Subdivision and two in other areas. They are in Siliguri, Matigara-Naxalbari, Phansidewa, Dabgram-Fulbari and Bagrakot under Malbazar, and Red bank under Nagrakata. About 50,000 Pinata plants are being cultivated and nurtured by around 500 members. 

“The pandemic was a major hurdle, however, we are hopeful that we will be able to start oil production by 2024. We are getting all the support from the Forest department, Block and police administration, District and Sub Divisional Legal service authority and committees in this work,” added Sarkar. 

Courtesy & source- Millennium Post

https://www.millenniumpost.in/bengal/alternative-human-trafficking-victims-to-produce-biofuel-from-plant-extracts-507879