For Conservation of Muga in natural habitat, under Integrated Sericulture Development Project (ISDP) of North East Region Textile Promotion Scheme (NERTPS), the Government of India has approved a project on conservation of Muga in natural habitat in Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Bodoland Territorial Council (BTC) and Meghalaya.  Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) has been signed between Forest Department, State Sericulture Department and Central Muga and Eri Research & Training Institute (CMER&TI), CSB, Lahdoigarh, Jorhat. The scheme is being implemented in the following areas:

1. Upper Doigrung Wild Life area, KarbiAnglong / Golaghat, Assam
2. Kuklung Reserve Forest range for muga ex-situ conservation site in BTC
3. Mebo Reserve Forest, Pasighat Forest Division, Pasighat in Arunachal Pradesh
4. Bagmara Reserve forest, Balpakram National Park, and Tura Peak in Meghalaya

Assistance is also provided to these States to identify and develop pockets in the forest for intensive plantations of different food plants of the Muga silkworm and to build the population in wild habitat for their use in breeding programmes and replenishment of stocks at P4 level of Basic Seed Multiplication. CSB’s Research & Development Institute, Central Muga and Eri Research & Training Institute at Lahdoigarh, Jorhat, Assam has come out with user friendly technologies viz., biological control of uzi fly, Lahdoi- disinfectant andmother moth examination & egg surface sterilization to ensure disease freeness of the progeny.Under North-East Region Textile Promotion Scheme (NERTPS), the beneficiaries have been supported with critical inputs for disease management through Departments of Sericulture of NE states. Two P4units, five P3units for production of basic silkworm seed and one Muga Silkworm Seed Production Centre have been established for the production of commercial mega silkworm seed under the reorganized Muga Silkworm Seed Organization (MSSO) of CSB.         

This information was given by the Union Minister of Textiles, Smriti Zubin Irani, in a written reply in the Lok Sabha today.

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MM/SB