Aman farming uncertain

Farmers are facing uncertainty over cultivation of Aman paddy as sevearl coastal islands of the district have been submerged due to collapse of the 32km embankment at several points along the Buragourango river in the current rainy season.

Water Development Board (WDB) Executive Engineer Md Abul Khayer said two kilometres of the dyke were badly damaged at different places under Kalapara and Rangabali upazilas this year while eight kilometres collapsed over several years, especially during the onslaught of cyclone Mora.

Khayer said Charbestin in Rangabali upazila is surrounded by the Bay in the south, Buragourango river in the west, Char Kukri channel in the east and Char Anda channel in the north.

A 32-km-long dyke was built around the coastal island in 1990. Since then, it has been getting damaged during every rainy season, but repair work is not done regularly, he added.

Some repair was done in 2015-16 fiscal year at a cost of Tk 4 lakh, but that was not sufficient, Khayer said.

Acting Rangabali Upazila Agriculture Officer Abdul Mannan said over 300 hectares of agricultural land in Charbestin have been submerged under water due to damage of the dyke. Most of seedbeds have become spoiled and farmers face uncertainty over cultivating Aman paddy, he added.

Farmer Zahir Pada, 35, of Charbestin village, said he planned to cultivate Aman paddy on 21.50 acres of land and had sowed the seeds. But it was all in vain as his land and seedbeds were destroyed by the surge of water following the collapse of a portion of the dyke.

“I am uncertain about cultivating the paddy as the seedbeds have gone under salty water,” he added.

Farmer Mostafa Howlader said his land went under water when a part of the dyke collapsed recently. Some portion of the dyke collapsed during the cyclone 'Mora' while tidal surge damaged it further at different points in the last few years, he added.

Char Montaj Union Parishad Chairman Md Hanif Mia said the dyke in char areas gets damaged every year due to tidal surges from nearby rivers, but it is not repaired regularly. The dyke should be repaired soon considering that most of the people here are farmers, he added.