The New Nation - Internet Edition

Our Correspondent, Gaibandha

The river erosion threatened people of the Teesta and the Brahmaputra river basin areas of the district are going to change their livelihoods and socio-economic condition through pumpkin cultivation in the char land with the overall assistance of River Erosion Project (REP), Practical Action Bangladesh.

Practical Action Bangladesh, a UK based International NGO, started its function here in 2004 aimed at changing the lots of river eroded and threatened people living at river basin areas of Sundargonj, Sadar, Fulchari and Shaghata Upazilas in the district by involving them in various income generation activities, sources said.

In order to address the Monga (poverty like situation) of river erosion affected people, Practical Action Bangladesh took a plan of pumpkin cultivation in the vast tracts of Char land through sandbar cropping, a new technology for crop production in unfertile and unused sandy char land with the help of 5 locals partner NGOs-SKS, GUK, Akota, PBKS and SSUS. This technology is suitable for crop production in newly emerged sandy char and silted river bed, said agriculturist Nirmal Chandra Bepari, Coordinator of REP.

To produce pumpkin in char land, at first a medium hole is dug until getting the silty layer and fertilizer is used in the hole to boost production. The 4 seed of pumpkin are sown and after 4 months the pumpkins grow there, he also said.

In 20Q5-2006 year some 177 farmers of the areas applied this technology in the char land for the first time and, produced 67,000 pumpkins at nine locations in four upazilas of the district. Based on its success the technology expanded further at 25 location by 460 farmers and 4,38,000 pumpkins were successfully produced in the year of 2006-07.

In 2007-08 the technology has widely expanded in 4 upazilas in the district with the production target of 17,74,800 pumpkins.

The harvesting of the pumpkins is nearly completed said M. Mizanur Rahman, area Manager of Practical Action Bangladesh.

With the cultivation of pumpkin in char land the people of river basin and char dwellers are so much happy as they are earning a lot amount by selling those.

If this technology is expanded in the char land of northern district the monga at the time of October and November will be removed, beyond about, said AZM Nazmul Islam, programme manager of practical Action-Bangladesh.