Fruitful Recovery: Mukti’s Efforts to Revive Fruit Gardens Post-Cyclone

Cyclone Remal caused extensive damage to the fruit gardens of Kankandighi GP which is also a source of sustenance and income for the local farmers. The powerful winds uprooted trees, stripped branches of their fruits, and scattered debris across the orchards. Floodwaters inundated the gardens, leading to soil erosion and the destruction of root systems. This not only resulted in immediate crop loss but also compromised the future yield as many trees were permanently damaged or killed. The salinity brought in by the storm surge further degraded the soil quality, making replanting efforts challenging. For the farmers, the cyclone’s impact meant a significant financial setback, loss of food security, and a daunting road to recovery as they worked to restore their beloved fruit gardens.

On July 15, 2024, Mukti with “AID” distributed six varieties of fruit saplings to the Remal cyclone-affected villagers of Kankandighi Mukti Bio Village. Among the 452 beneficiaries, each received at least four saplings. The six varieties included Mango, Water Apple or Java Apple (Jamrul), Cherry, Bengal Currants, Black Currants or Carandas Plum (Koromcha), Pomelo (Batabi Lebu), and Mud Apples (Sabeda). These fruits will not only support the farmers’ livelihoods once they begin to produce but will also contribute to environmental conservation. The beneficiaries expressed deep gratitude for this support, highlighting how the saplings provided immediate relief and renewed their hope for the future. They shared their emotional distress at seeing their livelihoods destroyed and spoke of how the timely aid from Mukti helped them begin the process of rebuilding.

Gallery link: https://muktiweb.org/gallery/album/mukti-distributed-fruit-saplings-to-the-remal-affected-people-at-kankandighi