NSI staffers taking measures amidst reports of leopard spotted on campus

Kanpur: Amidst reports of a leopard being seen at different intervals at National Sugar Institute (NSI), the staff of the institute is taking adequate precautionary measures while working.
NSI director, Prof Narendra Mohan said the institute has already gone ahead with installation of high resolution cameras, flood lights and extensive deployment of security personnel.
He has appealed to everyone to check the veracity of various videos and news being spread on social media about leopard’s presence on the institute campus as many of the news/videos have been found to be fake. The fake news unnecessarily creates confusion and panic among the institute employees, he said.
Three days (November 3) ago, a leopard was captured in one of the CCTV cameras installed on the campus. Prof Mohan said on the night of November 3, a leopard was spotted, and it was then confirmed that it had visited the campus. It was first spotted at IIT-Kanpur a week ago creating flutter.
Meanwhile, for giving practical exposure to the students of post graduate diploma courses in sugarcane productivity and maturity management, planting of different varieties of sugarcane, Co 15023, CoLk 14201 and CoS 13235 etc. has been taken up.
The students will be given a comprehensive practical exposure about prominent sugarcane varieties giving higher productivity, innovative techniques of planting such as trench planting and single bud etc. and on management of macro & micro nutrients.
While we are giving them exposure about single bud technique which results in lower seed requirement per hectare, they are also going to get idea about furrow irrigation and micro-irrigation to reduce the requirement of irrigation water as sugarcane is considered as water intensive crop, said Ashok Kumar, assistant professor of agriculture chemistry.
“Seeing is believing” and by doing with our own hands is going to give better insight which will result in better knowledge and build confidence in the students”, said NSI director.
“This is the reason we have decided that all the activities from seed treatment to planting to irrigation should be done by students only. Further, healthy seed is important for a healthy crop and thus they are also being exposed to various techniques of seed treatment such as hot water and hot air etc. besides the conventional chemical treatment”, he said.