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Jamuna erodes common reed tracts in Sirajganj

Char dwellers worried of maintaining livelihood

Published : Wednesday, 27 December, 2017 at 12:00 AM  Count : 315
Ashok Benarjee
SIRAJGANJ, Dec 26: Besides cultivating banana, nut, chilli and different vegetables, the char people of the district depend on common reed for maintaining their livelihood.
People here weave dreams to live by earning from common reed, which naturally grows on thousands of acres of char land.
Different fancy household items are made with common reeds which have great demand among town dwellers. Besides, the char people use common reed to make fence of their houses.
But, this year the dream of the char people is getting shattered as the Jamuna is eroding the vast common reed tracts. The dwellers are frustrated seeing the very destruction of the common reed tracts in front of their eyes. Now, they are worried how they will maintain their livelihood.
The mighty Jamuna is eroding the vast common reed tracts from the fallow char lands at Kazipur, Sadar and Chouhali upazilas.
According to field sources, the Jamuna River char lands include Natuapara, Tekany, Monsur Nagar, Nischintapur and Khas Rajbari unions under Kazipur Upazila, Mechhra, Kawakhola and Ratankandi unions under Sadar Upazila, and Khas Kaulia, Omarpur and Baghutia unions under Chouhali Upazila where common reed grows naturally. The char people cut the plants and after selling those divide the money equally among themselves. This trend has been going on for a long time.
Meanwhile, the production of common reed was less around 10 years ago, but now it grows on more lands; the reason behind this is that the Jamuna has lost navigability; so many char areas have emerged there where common reed grows naturally, the field sources said.
After the rain water recedes from the lands, the common reed becomes lively. Its production requires no care and cost.
After the common reed plants become mature, the char farmers cut and sell the dried plants at Tk 4 to 6 per cluster in the market. Many farmers sell per tract of common reed to wholesalers at about Tk 1.5 lakh to 2 lakh. The farmers divide the money among them equally, and in this connection they work equally in the lands.
But, this year due to untimely erosion of the Jamuna, the common reed tracts are getting destroyed. As a result, the farmers are suffering economic loss.
Farmers Sarwar Hossen and Siddik Hossen of Monsur Nagar Char in Kazipur Upazila said, "The common reed is a gift of nature. We do not have to spend any money to produce it whereas we are earning lakhs of taka from its sale each year. If the common reed can be cultivated in a planned way, huge money can be earned from it."
Golam Hossen and Abdur Rahim of Natuarpara in the same upazila said, "The common reed has become a source of income for the char people. They consider it as a boon of nature. But at the same time, people are concerned as the Jamuna is eroding the common reed tracts. We could cover up the damage which this year's floods caused through common reed production, but the untimely erosion has destroyed our hopes."
Wholesalers Abdur Rashid and Masud Rana of Natuarpara Char in Kazipur Upazila said, "Common reed is used to make different household items. These items have great demand among the town dwellers. We buy the dried common reed from the char farmers and sell those to different NGOs and business establishments. We have been doing the business for a long time."
Deputy Director of the Department of Agriculture Extension in Sirajganj Md Arshed Ali said, "As the river is losing navigability, many char areas are emerging where common reed grows naturally. The char lands where the common reed grows are temporary,  so we have no actual data of the common reed production in the district. But, we guess that the common reed grows on around 300 to 400 acres of char lands here."






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