Riverbeds give green look with crops in N-region

RANGPUR, Jan 11 (BSS): The tender crop plants are growing excellent on the dried-up riverbeds and char lands now giving those areas a greenish look in Rangpur agriculture region on the Brahmaputra basin.
Officials of the Department of Agriculture Extension (DAE) said char people have cultivated crops on over 86,000 hectares of char lands and dried-up beds of different rivers and tributaries this season in the region.
"Crop cultivation on the char lands, shoals and dried- and silted- up beds of the Brahmaputra, Teesta, Dharla, Ghaghot, Jamuna and other rivers is increasing every year in recent times," said Horticulture Specialist of DAE Khondker Md Mesbahul Islam.
He said cultivation of various crops on these lands has become possible due to abnormal lowering of the underground water level, massive deposition of alluvial soil and some other reasons.
"The farmers are mostly cultivating Boro rice, onion, 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," he said.
The char and riverside people have cultivated crops on 85,000 hectares of such lands this time in all five districts under Rangpur agriculture region to harvest those before commencement of the rainy season.
Deputy Director of the DAE at its regional office Md Moniruzzaman said the char people have completed sowing seed of most of the crops on the dried-up riverbeds and char lands though the process for some other crops continues.
Talking to BSS, char people expressed happiness over excellent growth of tender plants of their cultivated different crops on the dried up river beds and char lands in the riverine areas this season. Char dwellers Fulu Mian of Char Montola village, Abdus Salam of Kheruar Char and Afsar Ali of Char Goynar Patal in Chilmari upazila of Kurigram said they were expecting bumper production of their cultivated crops this season.
"The char people will begin harvest of mustard, pumpkin, onion, garlic and many other crops soon to get excellent yield this season," said SM Nurul Amin Sarker, Editor of the Weekly Juger Khabar being published from Chilmari upazila in Kurigram.
Similarly, landless people Abdul Karim of Gangachara upazila in Rangpur, Farman Ali of Kaliganj upazila in Lalmonirhat, Abdul Aziz of Dimla upazila in Nilphamari said they were expecting bumper production of their crops cultivated on the Teesta riverbeds.