Green revolution on the Teesta bed!
The silver shelf of the Teesta is covered with green leaves. The deep water in the river two months ago was an impression of sadness in the eyes of the people, now there is a green revolution in that river. The Teesta is no longer a river like a vast shelf. And there the people of the river bank are weaving the dream of the future. If all goes well, a crop worth around Tk. 4 crore will be produced from 13 chars in Dimla of Nilphamari district.
The life line of the north is awakened in the Teesta Char, the sandy desert is full of crops. Farmers are cultivating 10 types of crops including potato, maize and onion. The people who lost their resources in the flood waters are now busy turning around to produce crops of potential.
Abdul Matin of Talukdar Para village in Charkharibari union of Dimla upazila said that almost all the needs of the family have to be met by cultivating potatoes and maize in the dry season. Guides have to break the house once or twice in the floods every year. I could not take any rice from the house in this flood. Now this crop is the only hope.
Faridul Islam of Vendabari Char village of Jhunagach Chapani Union said that there is no knee deep water in Teesta now. You can cross the river on foot. Every year during the monsoon season, sand comes down from the upper reaches along the hill slopes. Due to this the bottom of the river is getting filled. This opportunity is used to grow crops in the land. Crop production is good. However, we have to suffer a lot to get irrigation.
Nayan Roy of Char village in the neighboring forest said, "In the last flood, 3 bighas of my land was lost in the river. I have planted onions in the last 2 bighas of land, hopefully the yield will be good." However, the communication system is not good here, so the profit is relatively low.
Dimla Upazila Agriculture Extension Officer Sekendar Ali told Barta24.com that the total cultivable land in 13 chars of Teesta river in Dimla upazila is 2,700 hectares. About 10 types of crops including maize, potato, onion and chili are being cultivated in these chars. Of this, maize is being cultivated in 1500 hectares of land and onion in 75 hectares of land. A significant amount of potatoes and chilies are also being cultivated. The amount of food grains being cultivated in these chars is about Taka 4 crore.
He said, our field workers are always cooperating with the farmers in various problems in crop production. The agriculture department will be by the side of the farmers in marketing the products produced jointly with the upazila administration.
Dimla Upazila Jhunagacha Chapani Union Parishad Chairman Aminur Rahman said, the life of the people of Chatunama, Vendabari, Char of my union is full of sorrow and misery. They ended up in flood waters two or three times a year and have to cultivate once a year during the dry season. If irrigation facilities and transportation facilities were good, the farmers would have benefited as expected.
Nilphamari Zilla Parishad chairman valiant freedom fighter Joynal Abedin told Barta24.com that people in five unions of Dimla upazila of the district had lost everything in the floods twice last year. If floodwaters could be controlled, these lands could be used all year round. The grief of the people in the river chars would go away.