Kusunpur village in Rajnagar block, Kendrapara district, has been selected as one of five villages across India under the Government of India’s Smart Village Program led by CSIR-Central Building Research Institute (CBRI), Roorkee. The other selected villages are located in Rajasthan, Meghalaya, Gujarat, and Ladakh.

The Smart Village Program, initiated by the Director General, CSIR in March 2026, aims to address location-specific challenges through scientific interventions. Kusunpur was chosen due to its unique geographical constraints — the village faces severe water scarcity for agriculture in summer, waterlogging with saline water during monsoon, and salty groundwater from borewells. The local economy depends largely on low-yield traditional paddy and scattered mung cultivation.

As part of the initiative, CSIR-Central Institute of Medicinal & Aromatic Plants (CIMAP), Lucknow has introduced aromatic crop cultivation in the village for the first time. CIMAP has successfully cultivated 2 acres of mentha and 1 acre of lemongrass in Kusunpur to diversify farm income.

To ensure value addition at the local level, Scientist of CSIR-CIMAP conducted a _Skill Development Training Program was held on Monday for women members of four Self-Help Groups — Sahada Sundari, Maa Matia Mangala Brundabati, Gayatree, and Maa Sarala. A total of 60 women received hands-on training to prepare pinene-based and lemon-scented hygienic products, including toilet cleaner, dish wash, and floor cleaner, using essential oils extracted from farmer-produced aromatic crops.

The training is part of CSIR’s Aroma Mission and aims to create additional income opportunities for rural women while improving household hygiene. The SHGs will produce and market these essential oil-based products through their existing network.

Other participating CSIR laboratories in the Smart Village Program include CSIR-IMMT Bhubaneswar, CSIR-IHBT Palampur, CSIR-CFTRI Mysore, and CSIR-CDRI Lucknow, each addressing different technological needs of the selected villages.