9.25 lakh flood-affected people get relief in Rajshahi division

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RAJSHAHI, Oct 2, 2020 (BSS) – More than 9.25 lakh people of around 2.23
lakh flood-affected families in different districts of the division have, so
far, received relief materials to overcome their livelihood related hardships
caused by the natural disaster.

The government, as part of its instant humanitarian assistance to cope
with the catastrophic situation, has allocated 1,841.1 tonnes of rice, Taka
45.35 lakh in cash, 22,803 packets of dry-food, Taka 27 lakh for baby food
and Taka 36 lakh for animal feed.

Moinul Islam, additional commissioner of Rajshahi division, said
distribution of the allocated relief materials among the affected families in
the division is on final stage.

Apart from this, 2,098.6 tonnes of rice, Taka 29.71 lakh, 2,177 packets of
dry food, Taka two lakh for baby food and Taka five lakh for animal feed
remain in stock for distribution, he said.

Islam said 64 unions in Sirajganj, 24 in Bogura and 19 each in Pabna,
Naogaon and Natore districts are the worst affected ones by flood.

Besides, standing crops on around 52,983 hectares of lands worth around
Taka 477.29 crore have been damaged by the floodwaters affecting over 3.75
lakh farming families in the division.

Various standing crops like newly transplanted Aush and Aman paddy, Aman
seedbeds and direct seeded Aman, vegetables, maize and green chili were
affected by the floodwater.

Particularly, the deluge has affected Aush paddy on 11,433 hectares of
land, Aman seedbeds on 1,068 hectares, transplanted Aman on 1,007 hectares
and vegetables on 3,638 hectares of land, sources said.

In Sirajganj district, crops on 23,365 hectares of land were affected
followed by 7,555 hectares in Bogura, 3,958 hectares in Pabna, 2,718 hectares
in Naogaon, 2,000 hectares in Rajshahi, 1,480 hectares in Chapainawabganj and
1,406 hectares in Natore districts.

Meanwhile, around 1.18 lakh small and marginal farmers have been selected
for providing agricultural incentives worth more than Taka 12.21 crore to
recoup their losses caused by the recent flood in all eight districts of the
division.

Respective offices of the Department of Agriculture Extension (DAE) have
already started providing the scheduled incentives with close monitoring and
surveillance so that the targeted farmers can offset their losses after the
best uses of the incentives.

DAE Additional Director Sudhendra Nath Roy said a target has been set to
establish around 18,000 vegetable nutrition gardens under the family
agriculture programme during the current Kharif-1 season.

Around Taka 4.73 crore has been allocated for boosting the nutritive
vegetables. Each of 17,984 farmers will get Taka 2,673 as incentives for
seed, organic fertilizer, fencing, nursing and signboard for cultivating
vegetables on one bigha of land.

Around Taka 1.66 crore has been earmarked for cultivating black gram on
11,200 bighas of land to recoup the flood losses.

More than 34,700 farmers will get seeds of various vegetables free of cost
under the government’s short and long term agricultural incentive programme
for the small and marginal farmers to recoup their flood losses.

“We have already distributed vegetable seedlings among 16,190 farmers in
Rajshahi, Naogaon, Natore and Chapainawabganj districts,” Sudhen Roy added.

Seedbeds on more than 2,904 hectares of lands were set up compared to the
target for vegetable farming, he also said.

Seedlings of transplanted Aman paddy were distributed among around 6,000
farmers free of cost as community seedbeds on 85 acres of land and 400
floating seedbeds had been developed besides growing seedlings on 6, 204
trays in the flood affected areas, he continued.