2 Indian cyclists touring Bangladesh in campaign to save arable land
Two Indian youths from Kolkata are touring across Bangladesh on bicycles in a campaign to save arable land.
The duo – Palash Paik and Gautam Karmakar – reached Bogura on Friday afternoon.
Palash is a teacher by profession and Gautam is a freelance photographer. Both of them are environmental activists.
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They entered Bangladesh on 16 May through the Benapole land port in Jashore and started their awareness campaign to save arable soil. On a 15-day tour, they have so far visited nine districts of Bangladesh.
Gautam said, "Arable land is continuously decreasing in the world. Pesticides are being overused. As a result, agricultural land is reaching the verge of destruction along with nature. If this continues, it will be difficult to find arable land in the world.
"If the soil fertility gets reduced as a result of pesticides, even the seeds of high-yielding varieties will not be useful," he added.
Citing various studies, Palash and Gautam said in 2045 there will be 9.2 billion people on Earth and various crises have already arisen in food production.
If the arable land decreases, the world will face food shortage, they said.
Palash said they are talking to at least 15 farmers or marginalised people in a district every day.
They are trying to explain that pesticides destroy the soil and recommend the use of organic fertilisers instead of chemical ones.
