DHADING, – Dhunibesi village of Dhading has provided the recent example of how much people have to suffer in lack of coordination between the responsible government boides.

The land in Dhunibesi village, that was declared vegetable pocket after years by the Agricultural Development Office, is now filled with cement dust and concrete. The farmers blame the ministries of agriculture and industry for that. Around 800 farmers of Dhunibesi, Naubise-4 and the surrounding areas had been producing vegetables worth Rs 500 million a year. The Agricultural Development Office had even declared it vegetable basket and pocket after being impressed with the local enthusiasm for commercial farming. This is the main center of Dhading that contributes over 20 percent of annual supply to the Kalimati Vegetables Market.

But that center is now covered with cement dust and vegetable production has also started to fall. The villagers used to grow vegetables worth Rs 100,000 to Rs 700,000 a household through hard work even in lack of adequate water and used to survive on that income. “We made Dunisbesi vegetable pocket after years of hard work. But it is now in danger due to lack of coordination between the ministries of agriculture development and industry,” vegetable farming officer Keshav Ghimire said.

Ram Bahadur Rai used to grow vegetables worth over Rs 700,000 a year in eight ropanis of his land and another six ropanis of rented land. But his fields are now dry. “There are over 250 farmers like me in our village alone. There are many more in Jivanpur. We are now facing difficulties to even make ends meet,” he added.

The price of land in the area has now increased up to Rs 1 million a ropani after United Pvt Ltd of KL Dugar Group procured at Rs 100,000 a ropani for United Cement Industry but construction of the factory has affected vegetable farming in the village. The industry has procured over 240 ropanis of land until now. The factory will bring limestone from Lele, Lalitpur and will dig 500 feet at two places for water. The factory aims to produce 1,000 tons of cement a day after coming into operation. Stating that the group has invested in the village seeing the great potential of cement factory in the country, Managing Director of the group Kumud Dugar expressed unawareness about the agricultural pocket. “The cement industry still needs big investment and Dugar Group has come to fulfill that. There is no controversy about the factory as we have help from even the locals,” he claimed.

karobardaily.com