Friday 29 March, 2024

Divisional Consultation meeting on ‘Food Security in the City and Urban-Agriculture’ held at Chittagong

02 Nov 2021 | 10: 20 am

Chittagong is full of natural resources, although it is not free from natural disasters. Man-made and nature-caused disasters are at risk. As a result  Chittagong is one of the most risky areas in the country in terms of the negative effects of climate change. Agriculture is one of the major occupations of the community people in Chittagong, although Chittagong is a food deficient area in Bangladesh. Food items imports from other parts of the country, to meet the deficit. Under different initiatives by the Government, food security has been ensured in the country, but the provision of healthy food and nutrition has not been ensured yet. To make Chittagong a modern clean, green city, the city dwellers, especially the conscious citizens, have to come forward. In order to protect the life and nature of the city, Chittagong City Corporation will take initiatives to set up farming fields in every ward of to strengthen gardens, roof gardens, sports and cultural activities in the abandoned areas. Chittagong City Corporation will provides necessary supports those who will be involved in roof gardening and urban agriculture. These was stated by the Chittagong City Corporation Mayor Mohammad Rezaul Karim Chowdhury addressing a divisional consultation meeting titled ‘Food Security in the City and Urban-Agriculture’ at Chittagong City Corporation Conference hall on Sunday (October 31, 2021).

Mr. S M Nazer Hossain, Vice President of CAB Central Committee and Executive Director of ISDE Bangladesh was chaired and the meeting was moderated by CAB Chittagong Divisional General Secretary Kazi Iqbal Bahar Sabery. Panel Mayor of Chittagong city corporation Ms Afroza Kalam, Divisional Director of the Department of Livestock Dr. Reazul Haque, Additional Director of the Department of Agricultural Extension Agriculturist  Manjurul Huda, Chief Scientific Officer of the Agricultural Research Institute S M Harunar Rashid, Deputy Director of Chittagong Diabetic General Hospital Nutritionist Hasina Akhter, Former president of the Chittagong Union of Journalist M Nasirul Haque, former government official agriculturist Sarwar Kamal, Environmentalist freedom fighter Dr Prof Idris Ali, former director of Chittagong Chamber Mahfuzul Haque Shah, secretary of Chittagong City Corporation Khaled Mahmud and deputy manager of Action Aid Bangladesh Amit Ranjan Dey were present as special guests.

Amongst other Chittagong South District Krishak League President Atiqur Rahman Chowdhury, former Chittagong City Corporation Councilor Advocate Rehena Begum Ranu, Chittagong District Council Member Rehena Chowdhury, Chittagong City Corporation Mayor’s Private Secretary Abul Hashem, Chief Accounting Officer Humayun Kabir Chowdhury, Slum Development Officer Moinul Hossain, Councilor of Chittagong City Corporation Prof. Neshar Ahmed, Assistant Director of Environment Department Ms Romana Akhter, Deputy Director of Divisional Office of Agriculture Extension Department Ekram Uddin, Additional Deputy Director of District Office Nasir Uddin Chowdhury, President of ADAB Chittagong Jasmine Sultana Paru, Executive Director of Banaful, CAB leader Jharna Barua, President of Bikashit Nari Network Jannatul Ferdous, CAB Chittagong South District President Alhaj Abdul Mannan, CAB leaders Mohammad Jane Alam, Selim Jahangir, Harun Gafur Bhuiyan, Suchitra Guha Tumpa were took part in the discussion. The key note was presented by Ajay Mitra Shanku, Deputy Director, Proshika.

According to the main article, 25 percent of the total area of the country is supposed to be greenery and forest, but the whole country is being covered with bricks and stones. That is why the heat is rising all over the country. In addition, food prices are constantly out of reach of the community people, and people with limited incomes are increasingly anxious about rising prices hike. There is also an end to people’s worries and anxieties about safe food. Due to COVID-19 reduces the income of a class of people, people are worried about daily food products and many people are forced to not eat at once. Besides, the country is self-sufficient in food security but there is still food shortage in Chittagong. It was suggested that increasing food production through urban agriculture would reduce the food shortage and at the same time ensure safe food supply.

Speakers urge at the divisional consultation meeting included formulation of policies, action plans and guidelines for the introduction and development of urban agriculture, provision of other incentives including holding tax rebate to encourage urban agriculture, making roof farming compulsory in new building policy, expansion of agricultural extension department in city corporations. Allocating separate budgets of city corporations, demanded setting up of urban agriculture nurseries in the metropolis, conducting massive campaigns to create awareness among the citizens and formation of separate supervision cells involving individual citizens in the expansion of urban agriculture.