Horse-drawn carts key mode of transport in char areas

Although horse-drawn carts are a thing of the past in most parts of the world, these outdated buggies still facilitate movement across 450 char areas in Kurigram and Lalmonirhat.

There are 20,000 horse-drawn carts that transport goods and carry passengers through char areas of the Brahmaputra, Teesta, Dharla, Dudhkumar and Gangadhar rivers, where a lack of paved roads makes it difficult for heavy vehicles to navigate the region.

So, traditional horse-drawn carts are mainly used to this end and as such, many local families depend on these waggons for a source of income.

"I carry passengers on boats across Brahmaputra river when there is sufficient flow during the monsoon season and then work as a coachman in the char areas for the rest of the year," said Nazrul Mandal of Astomir char in Kurigram's Chilmari upazila.

"We transport agricultural products from char areas to the mainland and also bring back the necessary goods. Sometimes people use our waggons to carry ailing people to hospitals," he added.

Around 30 to 50 horse-drawn carts and carriages are used daily to transport goods in each char area.

"We get Tk 30 to Tk 35 for transporting one maund (about 40 kilogrammes) of goods for four to five kilometres. We can transport up to 15 maunds of goods on each trip," said Idris Ali, a coachman of Char Karai Barishal in Chilmari upazila.

"On average, I earn Tk 1,200 a day and half of it is spent on buying the horse's feed," he added.

Each coachman tends to have at least two to three horses in their stable.

"I made a horse-drawn cart using old rings, tyres and tubes of motor vehicles, wood and bamboo, spending around Tk 60 thousand," said Mansur Ali, a coachman of Char Gobordhan in Lalmonirhat's Aditmari upazila.

After building his buggy, Ali then bought a pair of horses for Tk one lakh.

After that, he started using it to carry people and goods through the sandy char areas.

"A horse-drawn cart costs around half as much as a bullock cart and can move on the sandy char land much easier than its bull-driven counterpart," Ali added.

Coachmen see satisfactory earnings during the dry season in November to June as people have to use horse-drawn carts to transport goods as boat services are halted when river levels drop, according to Atiar Rahman, a coachman of Char Shiberkuti in Lalmonirhat sadar upazila.

He went on to say that the use of horse-drawn carts has been increasing day by day, providing more job opportunities for locals. 

Jahangir Ala, a grocery store owner in the remote char Shakha in Kurigram's Chilmari upazila, told the Daily Star that he brings goods in from the mainland by boat between July to October but when the river dries up n November to June, he plies horse-drawn carts for bringing goods.

If the horse-drawn carts were not available, it would not be possible to run businesses promptly in char areas.

"So, our business policy in the char area is dependent on horse-drawn carts," he said.

Surendra Nath Sarker, a businessman from Ulipur upazila town in Kurigram, told the Daily Star that they purchase agri products that are produced in char areas.

"So, horse-drawn carts in char areas have become a part of our business," Sarler said.

Kuddus Bapari, a farmer of a remote char called Parbati in Kurigram sadar upazila, told the Daily Star they hire horse-drawn carts to transport agri products to markets in the mainland to sell them at a fair rate.

"Some years ago, when there was no facility for horse-drawn carts in the char area, we had to use bullock carts but it was not easy. We even carried some goods by hand," he said

Sirajul Islam, a char farmer at Char Sardob in Kurigram sadar upazila, said that many char people, failing to afford the fare of horse carts, still carry goods themselves, walking miles on end in the sandy land. 

"Char people have urged the government to arrange free transport on broughams for ailing and elderly people as well," he added.

Fedous Rahman, district cooperative officer in Kurigram, told the Daily Star that horse-drawn carts are playing an important role in carrying goods and passengers in char areas.

The arrangement of easy-term loans from banks would encourage more people to buy or make horse-drawn carts businesses.

Coachman of a horse-drawn cart at Char Katamari in Lalmonirhat sadar upazila, said they ply their carts within a 19 kilometres area in the char.

"We transport goods from the river bank area and connect to the local market on the char area," he said.

Around 12 to 15 years ago, goods were transported on horseback. Buffalo carts were used at that time too but horse-drawn carts were installed instead of buffalo as it can move slowly on the char land,' Rahman said.

A grocery wholesaler at Chilmari Bazar of Chilmari upazila said he sends different goods weighing 100 to 120 maunds to 15 or 16 local businessmen in char area markets every day.

At least 60 to 65 wholesalers in the Chilmari market send goods to and from char traders every day.

"Traders from char areas get these goods transported by horse-drawn carts," he said, adding that Chilmari Bazar is situated around 400 metres away from Brahmaputra river.

Dr Abdul Hai Sarker, district livestock officer in Kurigram, told the Daily Star that it is an old tradition to use  horses to transport goods in char areas.

"'Horses that are used for handling horse-drawn carts are trained well and these horses take additional feed," Abdul said.

"The trained horses are habituated to move better on the char area, and of course they need rest every hour," he said.

A grocery wholesaler at Chilmari Bazar of Chilmari upazila in Kurigram told the Daily Star that he sends different goods of 100-120 maunds to 15-16 local businessmen in the char area markets every day.

At least 60-65 wholesalers situated in Chilmari market send goods to and from char traders every day.

"The traders from the char areas get these goods transported by horse-drawn carts," he said, adding that Chilmari Bazar is situated around 400-metre away from Brahmaputra river.