Despite constraints and hardships, flood affected farmers in Tangail district have again started all kinds of agricultural activities.
During a visit to the same villages this correspondent had visited about three weeks ago. the entire landscape was found giving a different look with crop plants and' vegetables sprouting.
At places where the flood has left huge deposits of sand, farmers said, they were not able to cultivate because seeds of the only crop cultivable on the sandy land — ground nut — were selling at an exorbitant price of Tk 2.100 per maund.
Farmers said they were incurring debts in the process of arranging irrigation and buying seeds and seedlings. They had exhausted all their savings during the long months of flooding. Some women said they were getting loans from some NGOs operating in the area but it would be difficult to pay the instalments in the coming lean period.
At Cnar Fatehpur under Sadar thana of the district, villagers who were without any work only a fortnight ago. were now busy clearing the rotten straws from the fields.
Didar Alt. a farmer of Fatehpur with severe asthma, said they had received no help from anyone. "Why are you writing my name again? Nobody came to help us after you visited this place 15 days ago." he said.
Asked about the government scheme of Vulnerable Group Feeding (VGF), the villagers said they did not even hear about it. "Now what we are cultivating will be harvested in two to three months’ time. We do not know what to eat during these months." said Sohrab Ali.
Mohammad Chandu Bepari aged about 65, a weaver-tumed-farmer and father of five chil-
dren, said he had survived the flood by buying rice on credit. He said he was unable to cultivate vegetables because the seeds were expensive. "I am thinking of going to chairman Rafiqul Islam for help." he said.
In the local market, plenty of seeds was available but their prices were much higher than that last year. Farmers said Kalai seeds were selling at Tk 20 per kg and they needed at least five kg for one blgha of land. Cauliflower and tomato seeds were selling at Tk 100 per 10 grams, pea seeds cost Tk 150 per five kg and mustard seeds Tk 30 per kg.
Five km north of the Dhaleswari river, near Torab-ganj Bazar under Katuli union, the local branch of BURO Tan-gall. an NGO. was packed with women who came to avail micro credit. An official of BURO said they were disbursing loans among the women.
At Torabganj Bazar, the market had no supply of vegetables. Local people said the flood totally destroyed vegetables in the area and they would
have to wait till the next harvest for new ones. "You can only find kochu (yarrow plant) as vegetables because those can grow in water." said Golam Hossain, a farmer who lost all his harvest of jute in the deluge.
Mohammad Altaf Hossain. Secretary of Katoli Union Parishad, an employee under the LGRD Ministry to work as assistant to the UP chairman, said they had received instructions to prepare a list of 1.000 people for the VGF scheme. "We will give priority to victims of erosion and the landless." Altaf said.
The government recently decided to issue 1.000 VGF cards in every flood affected union of the country. Each card holder would receive eight kg of wheat and eight kg of rice monthly under the scheme.
Hossain said the committee which would make the list comprises of the UP chairman, members of all the nine wards. NGO representatives and two local Awami League leaders.
About the Agricultural Rehabilitation Programme (APR)
of the Department of Agriculture Extension, he said with 42.000 people in 56 villages, the Katoi union received seed allocations only for 77 farmers. Nine farmers would receive seeds of Kalai. 30 of wheat. 20 of boro. 20 of mustard, and eight of vegetables. Each farmer would receive the seeds to cultivate one blgha of land.
The local UP office was converted into a temporary diarrhoea treatment centre. The on-duty doctor. Mokhlesur Rahman and Medical Assistant Chitta Ranjan Das said there was an outbreak of diarrhoea in the area. In one day the centre had received 96 patients.
"The problem is all roads in the area nave been damaged and people cannot bring the patients." said the doctor who had been brought from another area to face the emergency situation.
"We have plenty of salines and medicines which were provided by an NGO — Medecin Sans Frontiere, Holland," said Chitta Ranjan Das. adding that one person died of diarrhoea in the area.