Bhubaneswar: Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik Thursday inaugurated the state-of-the-art Krushi Bhawan, a vibrant hub for the farmers and the state Agriculture department.
The building, built over an area of 1.3 lakh square feet, is located at Gopabandhu Marg here and houses a learning centre, auditorium, training rooms, garden, public plaza, crop calendar, open theatre and exhibition hall at its ground floor while the offices operate on the upper floors.
While the design of the building is inspired by Ikat patterns of handlooms, the gardens are designed to showcase the issues of and solutions to Odisha’s agricultural heritage. The rooftop too has been opened up to the public as a demonstration of urban farming.
The demonstration garden highlights the use of irrigation channels, rainwater harvesting, soil remediation and organic agricultural practices to improve crop yield. The design features educational art components and an intensive roof garden.
Designed as a passive-cooled structure with a night purging ventilation system and a high thermal mass, the building exceeds most green building rating parameters. It illustrates how a government facility can extend itself to celebrate local context, craftsmanship and sustainability to become a vital part of the social infrastructure.
Soon after the inauguration, Patnaik said, “Our farmers have earned awards for the state four times. We have received Rs 7 crore as prize money. This Krushi Bhawan is the building of our farmers where they can avail all facilities under one roof.”
The building promotes sensitisation to local materials and looks at new ways of integrating craft in a contemporary environment. It has been designed to be a statement on the unique qualities of Odisha.
It is just a medium to fulfill plan of the state government to give emphasis on all-round development of agriculture and allied sectors through the introduction and implementation of several farmer centric schemes or programmes.
The building was inaugurated in presence of 400 farmer representatives, ministers, MLAs, MPs and Chief Secretary Aditya Prasad Padhi.
