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| Saturday, 29 January 2005 |
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by Uditha Kumarasinghe The Agriculture, Lands and Irrigation Ministry has formulated plans to remove the salinity of soil in cultivated lands in the tsunami stricken areas. Following research by soil scientists, engineers and agriculturists, the Ministry has commenced a program to 'wash' the fields damaged by seawater with freshwater, a Ministry spokesman told the Daily News yesterday. "If washing the affected paddy lands with freshwater is not sufficient, steps will be taken to use dolomite and gypsum to remove the salinity in such paddy lands," he said. According to information by the Ministry has received, salinity has affected the soil of over 4,000 acres of cultivated lands in tsunami stricken areas. The Ministry will check the salinity of the cultivated lands in tsunami affected areas. This project will be mainly implemented in Galle, Matara, Hambantota, Ampara, Batticaloa, Trincomalee, Mulaitivu, Kilinochchi and Jaffna districts. The Ministry has decided to seek the assistance of Food and Agriculture Organisation for this project, the spokesman said. Ministry Secretary Tissa Warnasuriya had a discussion with soil scientists and officials in this regard, he said. Agriculture, Lands and Irrigation Minister Anura Kumara Dissanayake has appointed a special committee to look into the possibility of resuming cultivation in areas devastated by the tsunamis. This committee will assess and find out the damage caused to cultivated lands and also the damage caused to soil by salinity, he said. The Agriculture Ministry will instruct farmers to recommence cultivation in lands affected by the tsunami. The Ministry will seek the assistance of its officials and experts for this. Arrangements have been made to commence this program from this month by encouraging farmers to cultivate suitable crops in tsunami stricken areas. Alternative crop varieties will be introduced to cultivated lands where soil has been damaged by salinity, the spokesman said. |
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