Staff Reporter ,Rangpur :
A section of unscrupulous people have continued mindless sand lifting from Karotoa river at Paschimpara village of Bisnupur union under Badarganj upazila in the district, threatening erosion of dwelling houses and arable lands.
The sand traders have been extracting sand by sinking pipes into the bed of the river with dredgers from the area for long, but the authority concerned seems to be oblivious to the matter, it is alleged.
Locals said that a number of influential people are involved in such illegal act. Around 40-50 trolley loads of sand are being sold every day from there. Per trolley sand is being sold at Tk 500 to Tk 800.
Locals said they have informed the local administration of the matter, but nothing has been done so far to stop sand lifting.
Mazed Ali, a former Union Parishad Chairman of the village Paschimpara said that he has applied to district administration for the permission to extract sand from the river as his crop land is adjacent to the river. “A major portion of my land has gone under the river and I am lifting sand from there”, he added.Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO), Rashedul Haque said that they have stopped sand lifting from the river in several occasions. But some dishonest sand traders have started such illegal act again. Necessary measures will be taken against the culprits soon, he added.
Toxic free vegetables cultivation rise
Farmers of different areas under the district are showing their interest in farming toxic free vegetables owing to more profit.
Due to lesser cost compared to pesticides, use of pheromone trap is on the rise across the region, sources further said.This method has appeared as a blessing for the farmers against the backdrop of rampant use of toxic pesticides which cause harm to the ecological balance and public health, agriculture experts said.
The farmers are producing different vegetables like eggplant, teasel gourd, parble, bean, pumpkin, snake gourd, bitter gourd, cucumber, gourd, ladies finger etc using this eco-friendly method across the district.
Some vegetable cultivators said they are to spend a huge amount of money on insecticides on their vegetable fields. On the other hand they need to spend a nominal cost for using pheromone trap. So they prefer the method, they added.
Mazed Ali, a farmer of Jaigirhat area under Mithapukur upazila said that he cultivated teasel gourd on 30 decimals of land using pheromone traps this season. He has to clean the trap box each week. Now he is able to produce vegetables without using pesticide saving extra cost. He is also getting a good yield and handsome profit this season which is encouraging for others to follow, he added.According to Department of Agriculture Extension (DAE) official sources the pheromone traps are made of plastic bottles. A capsule containing female sex hormone of insects is hung in the plastic bottle with one inch of soap-water and two holes are created in the middle of the container for entrance of insects. Set in the crop field with two bamboo sticks, the bottle lures male insects which drown in the water and eventually die, sources added.
