Farmlands lose fertile topsoil to brick fields in Lalmonirhat
The topsoil of vast areas of farmlands in the agriculture based northern district is being used for manufacturing bricks, which is having a harmful impact on agriculture and the environment. Farmers are aware in this regard, but they are forced to sell the topsoil of their farmlands to brick kiln owners.
Around 40 brick kilns have been set up in farmlands of five upazilas in the district, violating the government rule, and they all use the topsoil of the farmlands to make bricks. Collection of topsoil from farmlands surrounding brick kilns begins after harvesting of Aman paddy and continues for around one and a half months.
Rangpur Department of Environment (DoE) acting Assistant Director Mezbah Ul-Alam told this correspondent that lifting of topsoil has a bad impact on the environment as farmers apply too much chemical fertiliser and pesticide on the crops in these lands. “Chemical fertilisers and pesticides flow into nearby waterbodies from farmlands and pollute the water,” he said.
“With the hope of getting expected production of crop from land without topsoil, I applied overdose of fertiliser and pesticide, but the result is not as expected,” said Sudhir Chandra Roy, 48, a farmer of Purbo Nawdabansh village in Hatibandha upazila. “I am very disappointed with the productivity on four bighas of land after selling the topsoil,” he said. “I used to harvest three crops per year, but now I get one crop in a year,” he said, adding that he was forced to sell the topsoil three years ago.
Posted by admin
on Jan 10 2019. Filed under Organic agriculture.
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