Farmland depletion
Saturday, 9 November 2019
The government announcement that industries will not be allowed on arable land is an encouraging sign. However, the country is losing cultivable land by at least 8,000 hectares per year, due also to unplanned housing in both urban and rural areas, and reckless use of land for other purposes. What we need immediately is stringent measures to stop encroachment on agricultural land. The government needs to assure people that it is serious in its duty to address this alarming issue that would threaten national food security. Compact rural housing and judicial use of land for any purpose, whatsoever, are often discussed as some of the solutions.
Zahangir Alam
Akurtakur, Tangail