The Daily Star
Thursday, November 1, 2007 11:08 AM GMT+06:00
Published On: 2007-10-08
National
Cultivation of vegetables and spices on Khagrachhari hill slopes causes massive soil erosion, destroys bio-diversity
Jashim Majumder, Khagrachhari
Vegetable fields on hill slopes in Khagrachhari that causes soil erosion and damages the ecology as natural forests are destroyed. Photo: STAR
Vegetable growers in the district are happy with high prices of their produce. They benefit, but at the cost of ecology.
They choose hill slopes for growing summer vegetable in rainy season. They clear forests and shrubs and till the lands, which causes massive soil erosion, thereby destroying the natural conditions of hills.
Besides change in the ecology, destruction of forests and soil erosion may cause catastrophe like massive landslides, officials of Agriculture Extension Department (AED) said. Landslides triggered by heavy rains killed so many people in Chittagong during the current rainy season, they said.
AED officials in Manikchhari said vegetable cultivation on hill slopes is increasing in the upazila as farmers are earning good profit from it. Vegetables produced in Manikchhari upazila are also sent to other district and exported, they said.
They said vegetables and spices brought hefty gains for both Bangalee and indigenous farmers this year because of high prices of the items. This will expand their cultivation in the hill slopes, the officials said.
This correspondent visited at 10 villages in Manikchhari and Dudukchhari upazilas and talked to farmers. They said this year, vegetable prices were more than double the prices of previous years.
According to Manikchhari AED officials, at least 15,000 farmers are involved in vegetable cultivation in the upazila, which benefit around 30,000 people directly or indirectly.
Vegetable cultivation on hill slopes in the upazila covered at least 2451 hectares in Manikchhari upazila alone, the officials said.
Farmer Abdul Karim in Gachchhabil village said, he got very good prices for vegetables this year due to flood. But last year, most of the vegetables he produced perished due to transportation problem and lack of storage facilities, he said.
Hasan Mia of remote Hathimura village said good prices this year have become a boost for many in his village, who are planning to expand vegetable cultivation.
This correspondent asked the farmers whether they are aware of the problem that may be caused by the massive soil erosion in hills. They said they are not aware of the it.
Jum cultivation in eight upazilas in Khagrachhari, mainly by indigenous people by clearing forests, also damages bio-diversity and destroys sanctuaries of birds and animals.
AED sources said, due to favorable weather, indigenous farmers brought 5411.77 acres of lands on hill slopes in the district under jum cultivation in the current season, according to Babatosh Chakrabarti, Sub Assistant Agriculture Officer (SAAO) of District AED.
Of the total lands, 753.35 acres were brought under jum cultivation in Khagrachhari, 839.8 in Panchhari, 864.5 in Dighinala, 1111.5 in Mohalchhari, 494 in Matiranga upazila, 271.7 in Ramghor, 172.9 in Manikchhari and 889.2 acres in Laxmichhari upazila, he said.
Jum farnmers produced 2839 tonnes of rice and vegetables in the current season.
Another SAAO, Pranab Barua, said jum cultivation washes away the micronutrients of soil which caused massive soil erosion. He claimed that the unprecedented floods in Chittagong Hill Tracts (CHT) this year was caused mainly due to soil erosion.
Pradip Chowdhury, Programme Supervisor of Center for Sustainable Development (CFSD), said Jumm cultivation is profitable for farmers but it is responsible for extinction of wildlife.
The government should take note of the situation and find out alternatives to avoid natural disaster, he said.
Divisional Forest Officer (DFO) Shah-E-Alam said most of the unclassified forests were wiped out due to jum cultivation.
Such damage to bio-diversity may bring natural disaster in the region some day, he said.
Manikchhari Upazila Agriculture Officer Mohammad Zahedul Islam said besides soil erosion, vegetable and spices cultivation need chemical fertilizer and insecticide, which also damage the environment.
He said they are trying to make farmers aware of the problem. Among all crops, cultivation of aram in hill slopes is very much destructive though it benefits farmers, he said.
Deputy Director (DD) of Khagrachhari DAE T M Monjurul Islam said farmers are getting bumper yields and good prices due to soil fertility and favorable weather condition. But this may bring a disaster in the long run, he added.
Farmers should cultivate lands in a way that there is least soil erosion. Vegetable cultivation can not be stopped. He said the AED will launch an awareness campaign to make farmers cautious about the problem.
Policy makers at higher level should take note of the problem and take up long term programmes to evolve alternatives, he said.
Thursday, November 1, 2007 11:08 AM GMT+06:00
Published On: 2007-10-08
National
Cultivation of vegetables and spices on Khagrachhari hill slopes causes massive soil erosion, destroys bio-diversity
Jashim Majumder, Khagrachhari
Vegetable fields on hill slopes in Khagrachhari that causes soil erosion and damages the ecology as natural forests are destroyed. Photo: STAR
Vegetable growers in the district are happy with high prices of their produce. They benefit, but at the cost of ecology.
They choose hill slopes for growing summer vegetable in rainy season. They clear forests and shrubs and till the lands, which causes massive soil erosion, thereby destroying the natural conditions of hills.
Besides change in the ecology, destruction of forests and soil erosion may cause catastrophe like massive landslides, officials of Agriculture Extension Department (AED) said. Landslides triggered by heavy rains killed so many people in Chittagong during the current rainy season, they said.
AED officials in Manikchhari said vegetable cultivation on hill slopes is increasing in the upazila as farmers are earning good profit from it. Vegetables produced in Manikchhari upazila are also sent to other district and exported, they said.
They said vegetables and spices brought hefty gains for both Bangalee and indigenous farmers this year because of high prices of the items. This will expand their cultivation in the hill slopes, the officials said.
This correspondent visited at 10 villages in Manikchhari and Dudukchhari upazilas and talked to farmers. They said this year, vegetable prices were more than double the prices of previous years.
According to Manikchhari AED officials, at least 15,000 farmers are involved in vegetable cultivation in the upazila, which benefit around 30,000 people directly or indirectly.
Vegetable cultivation on hill slopes in the upazila covered at least 2451 hectares in Manikchhari upazila alone, the officials said.
Farmer Abdul Karim in Gachchhabil village said, he got very good prices for vegetables this year due to flood. But last year, most of the vegetables he produced perished due to transportation problem and lack of storage facilities, he said.
Hasan Mia of remote Hathimura village said good prices this year have become a boost for many in his village, who are planning to expand vegetable cultivation.
This correspondent asked the farmers whether they are aware of the problem that may be caused by the massive soil erosion in hills. They said they are not aware of the it.
Jum cultivation in eight upazilas in Khagrachhari, mainly by indigenous people by clearing forests, also damages bio-diversity and destroys sanctuaries of birds and animals.
AED sources said, due to favorable weather, indigenous farmers brought 5411.77 acres of lands on hill slopes in the district under jum cultivation in the current season, according to Babatosh Chakrabarti, Sub Assistant Agriculture Officer (SAAO) of District AED.
Of the total lands, 753.35 acres were brought under jum cultivation in Khagrachhari, 839.8 in Panchhari, 864.5 in Dighinala, 1111.5 in Mohalchhari, 494 in Matiranga upazila, 271.7 in Ramghor, 172.9 in Manikchhari and 889.2 acres in Laxmichhari upazila, he said.
Jum farnmers produced 2839 tonnes of rice and vegetables in the current season.
Another SAAO, Pranab Barua, said jum cultivation washes away the micronutrients of soil which caused massive soil erosion. He claimed that the unprecedented floods in Chittagong Hill Tracts (CHT) this year was caused mainly due to soil erosion.
Pradip Chowdhury, Programme Supervisor of Center for Sustainable Development (CFSD), said Jumm cultivation is profitable for farmers but it is responsible for extinction of wildlife.
The government should take note of the situation and find out alternatives to avoid natural disaster, he said.
Divisional Forest Officer (DFO) Shah-E-Alam said most of the unclassified forests were wiped out due to jum cultivation.
Such damage to bio-diversity may bring natural disaster in the region some day, he said.
Manikchhari Upazila Agriculture Officer Mohammad Zahedul Islam said besides soil erosion, vegetable and spices cultivation need chemical fertilizer and insecticide, which also damage the environment.
He said they are trying to make farmers aware of the problem. Among all crops, cultivation of aram in hill slopes is very much destructive though it benefits farmers, he said.
Deputy Director (DD) of Khagrachhari DAE T M Monjurul Islam said farmers are getting bumper yields and good prices due to soil fertility and favorable weather condition. But this may bring a disaster in the long run, he added.
Farmers should cultivate lands in a way that there is least soil erosion. Vegetable cultivation can not be stopped. He said the AED will launch an awareness campaign to make farmers cautious about the problem.
Policy makers at higher level should take note of the problem and take up long term programmes to evolve alternatives, he said.
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