ICAR-CIFRI RC Guwahati Conducts 5-Day Hands-on Training on Water and Soil Quality Testing in Open Waters
11th August, 2025
ICAR-Central Inland Fisheries Research Institute (ICAR-CIFRI), Regional Centre, Guwahati successfully organized a five-day training programme on “Hands-on Training for Water and Soil Quality Testing in Open Waters” from 4–8 August 2025. The programme was conducted under the overall guidance of Dr. B.K. Das, Director, ICAR-CIFRI, Barrackpore, and Dr. S.K. Majhi, Head, ICAR-CIFRI RC, Guwahati. The event was coordinated by Dr. Rakesh Kumar and Dr. Simanku Borah, Scientists, with active support from Co-coordinators Dr. B.K. Bhattacharjya, Principal Scientist, and Dr. A.K. Yadav, Senior Scientist, along with other staff of the Centre.
The training was inaugurated and concluded in the presence of Dr. S.K. Majhi. A total of 16 participants (06 female; 10 male) from ICAR-CIFRI; College of Fisheries, Assam Agricultural University, Raha; College of Fisheries, Central Agricultural University, Lembucherra; and NGOs involved in fisheries sector attended the training program. The programme was structured into interactive theoretical and practical sessions. Key topics covered include: Overview of open water resources, basic laboratory techniques, water and soil quality parameters, nutrient dynamics heavy metals, micro-nutrients, emerging pollutants in aquatic environments, ornamental fisheries, statistical tools for limnological datasets and water quality indexing (WQI). Four online lectures were delivered by resource persons from ICAR-CIFRI, Barrackpore and ICAR-CIFRI Regional Centre, Prayagraj. Practical hands-on sessions enabled participants to analyze physicochemical parameters of water and soil, estimate primary productivity, assess nutrient levels, analyze soil texture and organic carbon, and perform data analysis using R and SPSS software. The training concluded with a valedictory session, where participants shared positive feedback, highlighting the relevance of the training in enhancing their skills in research and field applications.