The central government has approved Rs110 crore to set up a technology innovation hub at IIT, Ropar, the premier engineering institute said on Saturday.

The innovation centre is aimed to bring solutions for stubble management, water quality improvement, mapping of hazardous substances in water and soil, and their treatment, it said.

“The prime objective of this trailblazing hub is to make agriculture a profitable industry with highly optimised resource intake,” the Indian Institute of Technology said.

According to IIT-Ropar Director Sarit K Das, this novel mission by the government of India will help the agriculture and water sector in the country by exposing it to cutting edge research.

“Unfortunately, along with the success of the green revolution in India, the quality of soil and water and overall agricultural environment suffered degradation due to the excessive use of fertilisers, water and pesticides in order to grow more per hectare,” hub coordinator Pushpendra P Singh said. The institute will develop technologies and agricultural practices which can improve the yield and minimise the hazardous substances. To achieve the goal, the team will connect with farmers, listen to their problems and come up with viable, technology-based economic solutions, he said.