DHAKA, Jan 24, 2025 (BSS) - When someone thinks of paddy cultivation, requirement of vast lands -- high, low and flat land -- come to mind, which is also a common phenomenon in different parts of the country. 

But Dr. Nafisa Jahan has created a stir in Barishal city by cultivating paddy in plastic bottles on the rooftop of her house. Surprisingly, she is neither a student of agricultural science, nor it was her experimental work. 
  
She is a doctor by profession and the local agriculture department is looking at such an initiative positively. 
  
Dr. Nafisa is director at the Barishal Institute of Nuclear Medicine and Allied Sciences (INMAS) under Sher-e-Bangla Medical College Hospital where development work is going on.
 
 "But the issue of agriculture was pressing on my mind. So, to fulfill my hobby, I have cultivated paddy on the rooftop of the INMAS building. I have also achieved success," Dr. Nafisa said in a conversation recently.
  
On the initiative, she said, "I was thinking about how to start the job? One day I thought, there is no space, so what? What if I use plastic bottles as a paddy field? That's the idea. So, I collected 500 plastic bottles and one kilogram of paddy seeds of Kalijira variety to plant in these bottles. I saw, the seedlings were growing quite well".
  
"Every year, we make various agricultural gardens in front of the INMAS office. This time, rice cultivation on the rooftop has been included in the annual budget of the gardening," she said.
  
"Later, we have created a garden and cultivated paddy on the rooftop of the main building following discussion with the officials concerned," she added.
  
"Earlier, sugarcane was planted on this rooftop. Since the sugarcane yield was good, paddy cultivation came to my mind. I feel very good as the experimental initiative was successful, which may be started in different regions or areas in the future," said caretaker of the garden Anwar Hossain.
  
"Paddy has been harvested there recently. About 50 kgs of rice was obtained in the first year. If this is done on a large scale, the yield will increase further," he added.
  
Mushfiq Sourav, Barishal correspondent of a national daily, said, "Paddy cultivation in plastic bottles on the rooftop of a building is completely new. And by doing this, Dr. Nafisa Jahan has created a nudge in Barishal. Many people come to see her exhibition every day and many are being inspired. I am also thinking of cultivating paddy on the rooftop of my house in this way."
  
Dr. Nafisa said, "I have not heard about paddy cultivation on such a large scale anywhere else in the country. Many can plant in one or two bases as a hobby, but no one has dared to plant so many seedlings on the rooftop."
  
"The entire credit goes to those who have taken care of the garden. Their interests have inspired me even more. We will carry on such venture in the future as well," she said.
  
When contacted, Deputy Director of the Department of Agriculture Md. Muradul Hasan said, "For rooftop gardens, we usually encourage homeowners to cultivate fruits and vegetables. But rooftop paddy cultivation is a new initiative. The Agriculture Department, however, appreciates this initiative". 
  
In response to a query, he said, "We encourage those who want to cultivate paddy on the rooftop of their houses. The Agriculture Department will provide any sort of technical cooperation and advice in this method of paddy cultivation." 
  
Sources said 40 kgs of paddy is produced on one decimal of land in this method.