Sadar, Burichang farmers return to farming
Farmers are trying hard to change their fortune by producing various crops; moreover they are contributing to the development of the country throughout the year. As Gomti pastures were not flooded for the past two decades, the farmers were busy farming safely, but this year the Gomti pastures were flooded due to heavy rains and flash floods. Thousands of acres of cropland are submerged. Farmers are extremely affected. However, when the water recedes, fodder farmers are busy moving around again. However, concerned officials of the Department of Agricultural Extension are not aware of that.
The main river of Cumilla coming from India enters through Catackbazar border of Gomti district and passes through Adarsha Sadar, Burichang, Brahmanpara, Debidar, Muradnagar, Titas and joins Meghna river at Sapta in Daudkandi. Every year, the river coming from the other side, during the rainy season, carries a large amount of silt during the rains and floods, and fertilizes the pastures of Gomti. And in that fertile land, the farmers have been producing rice, wheat, corn, sugarcane, jute, potatoes, vegetables and various winter curries for years.
According to responsible sources, the river is low most of the year due to multiple dams on the Bharat River across the border. In the past years, the farmers of the river banks have been producing different types of crops twelve months with peace. In the current year, there was excessive rain in our country and in India, the two lakes of Gomti was covered with water. The entire part of fodder is submerged in water. Later, when the water for fodder went down, the farmers on the river banks were again busy to return the crops. Meanwhile, farmers are inclined to produce early and fast-yielding vegetables of different types including lal shak, sobuj shak and radishes. You can see the scenes of farming while walking around in different villages including Amtali, Nishchintpur, Kaichhatali Burichong, Bagilara, Bajebaherchar, Bhanti, Purbhura, Balikhara, Kamarkhara in Gomti, Cumilla Sadar. The farmers are busy with rebuilding their fortunes after getting affected by the flood caused by overflowing both sides of the river; the farmers of the mentioned places in Char area are relying on themselves.
A farmer named Nantu, who is engaged in fodder farming in Amtali, Nischintpur area, said that no one at the government level has kept any news or come to communicate with us. After the flood the field gets somehow suitable for cultivation, about 15 days ago he cultivated radish in more than 10 acres of Char. In some parts, he made lal shak and data shak. In the meantime, he mentioned that the radishes and lal shak cultivated by him have become useful for sale; he said that the land preparation work is at the final stage, he will plant potatoes in a few days. He said that he along with other members of his family Jahangir, Shah Alam, Rubel, Halim, Abdul are cultivating various crops including vegetables in more than 20 acres of land in Amtali, Nischintpur area.
The same scene is mentioned in Burichang section of Char. At the moment, farmers are also busy cultivating lal shak, data shak, and radishes. Farmer Malu Mia said, since vegetables and radishes are fast growing and sellable in a short period of time, after the flood, the farmers have cultivated these in the vast area of Char in the hope of initial profit. They said, in the short time after the flood, many people have started selling small-sized radish, lal shak, and data shak in the market to make more profit after seeing the high price of curry in the market. The profit is also good.
However, a number of farmers lamented that although the government has been helping the farmers in various ways, we have never received any government encouragement or help for the farmers who are cultivating hundreds of acres of pasture land in Amtali, Nischintpur, Kaichchatali areas. When asked about the condition of the Gomtir Char farmers after the flood, Deputy Director of Cumilla Agriculture Extension Department Ayub Mahmud said that although the Gomtir Char farmers were facing huge losses due to the flood in the middle of last August, the hardworking farmers here are trying to start cultivating vegetables and fodder as soon as possible after the flood. He said that Gomtir char vegetables fulfill a large part of the needs of the people of Cumilla.
ZH
