Water hyacinth clogs Gaznaar Beel, hampering cultivation
Local farmers at Gaznaar Beel, one of the biggest water bodies in the district, are yet to start cultivation in the vast lands of the water body as it is clogged with water hyacinth.
The growers in the area mainly cultivate onion every year this time but they are yet to start making seedbeds in the wet land all because of water hyacinth.
There are 10 thousand hectares of cultivable land in Gaznaar Beel, but farmers are yet to start cultivation in half of the lands even after receding of floodwater. They actually cannot bring the land for cultivation due to excessive presence of water hyacinth in the water body.
Md Babu Sardar, a farmer of Rai Shimul village in Sujanagar upazila, said he has five bighas of cultivable land in Raishimul area of Gaznaar Beel, but due to the prolonged floods this year, the water body became blocked with water hyacinths.
The floodwater receded from the field last month but he is yet to prepare his field for onion cultivation, said the grower.
"I have to cultivate onion saplings next month, but I can't make seedbeds for the presence of huge water hyacinth in the water body," said Babu.
Md Abdul Aziz, another farmer of the village, however, said at least 15 labourers are needed to remove water hyacinth from each bigha for bringing the land for cultivation.
"We need minimum six to seven thousand taka for preparing the field for cultivation by removing water hyacinth," he said.
He added that huge cultivated lands in the beel are yet to be prepared for cultivation ahead of the onion season due to shortage of workers and fund crisis. Many farmers may fail to begin cultivation in proper time for the massive presence of water hyacinth in the water body.
Upazila agriculture officer Md Moynul Haque Sarker said there are over 10 thousand hectares of cultivable land in Gaznaar Beel of Sujanagar. Of them, half of the lands are covered with water hyacinth due to this year's prolonged floods, which caused massive waterlogging.
Due to the massive waterlogging, the fields in the beel has been filled with water hyacinth, he said.
The officer further added that apart from this, fishermen have set up illegal bamboo enclosures at different points in Gaznaar Beel, blocking the natural flow of water. It later caused massive waterlogging.
As about eight thousand hectares of land are submerged under water for five to six months ever year, the crop cultivation in Aman season and winter season are badly hampered in the Gaznaar beel of Pabna's Sujanagar upazila.
So, the farmers of the wetland wait for onion cultivation but the water hyacinth has brought woes for the farmers this year, said agriculture officer.
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