Zimbabwe declares national disaster due to drought
Zimbabwean President Emmerson Mnangagwa on Wednesday declared a state of disaster due to an El Nino-induced drought threatening food security in the country.
In a significant development for the agricultural community in Nadia and Murshidabad, the historic Plassey Sugar Mill, which has been shut for the past five years, is set to be revived. The mill, once a cornerstone of economic prosperity in the region, is poised to bring about a revival of farmers but also bring in local employment.
The sugar mill, one of the largest in the state, had been a vital source of income for around 3,500 sugarcane farmers who cultivated sugarcane on approximately 1,200 hectares of land. However, the closure of the mill in 2017 had left the farmers in dire straits, forcing them to diversify into multiple crops, including paddy, jute, mustard, mussuri, and vegetables.
The mill, originally established in 1937-38 by the Anderson Wright Company, was later acquired by an industrial group, which converted it into a sugar mill named Plassey Sugar. With 18 firms and an expansive 18,000 bighas of land, the mill had become a focal point of economic activities in the region. Reports of theft of machine parts during the years of closure had plagued the mill, reflecting the struggles it faced during its non-operational period.
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Local Kaliganj Trinamul Congress legislator Nashiruddin Ahmed talked of financial challenges faced by the previous owners, which resulted in the mill’s closure. Mr Ahmed said, “I sent a letter to the chief minister. Since it is a private organization, the state has nothing to do. That is why the state government could not intervene.”
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