RANGPUR, Dec 19, 2018 (BSS) – Cultivation of winter crops on the dried up
riverbeds and sandy char lands is expanding every year improving livelihoods
of many river eroded, poor and landless people in Rangpur region.
Officials of the Department of Agriculture Extension (DAE) said the char
people started cultivation of various crops since last October after
appearance of shoals and islands on the riverbeds following recession of
water.
“The growing tender plants of various crops have given the dried up
riverbeds and char lands greenish looks as the process of sowing seed still
continues in the region on the Brahmaputra basin,” said Horticulture
Specialist of DAE Khondker Md. Mesbahul Islam.
The char people are expected to bring over 90,000 hectares of land under
cultivation of various crops on the char lands and dried up beds of different
rivers and tributaries this season in all five districts of the agriculture
region.
“Crop cultivation on the char lands, shoals and silted-up beds of the
Brahmaputra, Teesta, Dharla, Ghaghot, Jamuna, Kartoa and other rivers is
increasing every year during the past two decades on the Brahmaputra basin,”
Islam said.
Cultivation of various crops on these lands has become possible due to
abnormal lowering of the underground water level causing drying up and
silting up of riverbeds, massive deposition of alluvial soil and some other
reasons.
The farmers are cultivating Boro rice, onion, green chili, garlic, maize,
wheat, vegetables, gourd, groundnut, ‘kawn’, pulses, ‘gunji till’, tobacco,
pumpkin, pulses, oil seed and watermelon on these lands and getting excellent
production every year.
“The char people had cultivated crops on over 86,000 hectares of such
lands during the last winter season in all five districts under Rangpur
agriculture region and harvested bumper yields before commencement of the
rainy season,” Islam added.
Talking to BSS, Deputy Director of the DAE at its regional office Md
Moniruzzaman said the char people are still continuing the process of sowing
seed of most of the crops on the dried-up riverbeds and char lands in the
region.
“Cultivation of crops is taking place on the silted up and dried up beds
of different rivers and their tributaries with emergence of shoals and
islands following various reasons, including adverse impacts of climate
change,” Moniruzzaman added.
Editor Nurul Amin Sarker, of the Weekly Juger Khabar being published from
Chilmari upazila town in Kurigram said the char people will begin harvest of
mustard, pumpkin, onion, garlic and many other early varieties of winter
crops from February next.
A number of people of different char villages expressed satisfaction over
excellent growth of tender plants of their cultivated crops on the dried up
river beds and char lands though the cultivation process will continue till
the middle of the next month.
Char people Kobiza Khatun and Nure Alam of Gangachara upazila in Rangpur
and Abdul Mazid of Jaldhaka upazila in Nilphamari said they were expecting
bumper production of their crops cultivated on the dried-up riverbeds this
time like in the previous years.