Irrigation hampered as grabbers occupying Teesta canal

Grabbers are occupying the vital Dinajpur secondary canal near Teesta river by making makeshift sheds on bamboo stilts on the canal.

They build the sheds with bamboo and polythene sheets and then gradually fill the space under it with earth for months so as not to draw people's attention, thus narrowing the canal.

Dinajpur Secondary Irrigation Canal under Teesta Irrigation Project covers irrigation in 35,000 hectares of Boro fields this year in Jaldhaka and Sadar upazilas of the district and Khansama upazila of Dinajpur.

On a visit to different places, this correspondent saw that vested quarters had built shops to make a market on the canal using bamboo stilts at Kanial khata, Kalitola and Bahalipara villages of Sadar upazila and Harish Chandrapat and Uttar Deshibai villages in Jaldhaka.

“Grabbers first build shops on the water using bamboo stilts and then slowly fill the canal under the shops with earth at night to avoid attention of the authorities concerned,” said Headmaster of nearby Panchapukur Girls' School Babul Hossain.

“We built shops supported by bamboo poles on the water, but we have not filled the canal with earth, so it is not an offence,” said grocer Mahendra Roy, 45, of the area.

“Water Development Board (WDB) officials at field level are aware of it. Whenever they visit us, we 'satisfy' them. Local ruling party men also help us as we support them on village issues,” said Anwar Hossain, who has a stationery shop on the canal at Kanial khata village.

“Grabbers have narrowed the stream in the Dinajpur Secondary Irrigation Canal, hampering irrigation in 35,000 hectares of Boro fields. I have brought the matter to the notice of the higher authorities,” Nilphamari Agriculture Extension Officer Motahar Hossain said.

“It is difficult to look after the 22.50-km-long Dinajpur Secondary Irrigation Canal due to manpower shortage,” said WDB Section Officer Mahmudul Hasan, also in charge of monitoring the canal.

“We sent a letter to the deputy commissioner a few months ago, requesting him to launch eviction drive, but we are yet to get a response,” said WDB Executive Engineer Md Hafizul Huq.

He will raise the issue in the next district coordination committee meeting, he added.