WHEN SCIENCE DICTATES POLICYMAKING

The Talma dam in Panchagarh, constructed at a cost of Tk 4 crore by the local government and engineering department to reduce the ill effects of flood, is an illustration of how correct policymaking can vastly improve the lives of people. Thanks to the dam, about a thousand hectares of land under Kamatkajal Dighi and Hafizabad Union now receive water from the Talma River in the dry season. The dam has also increased the water holding capacity of the soil, leading to an improved harvest of agricultural land. The villagers have also been able to dive into fish and poultry farming.