Boro on 15,000 hectares in BADC project uncertain

Irrigation in 15,000 hectares of land in the upcoming Boro season seems uncertain as various parts of the canal under the Ashuganj-Palash Agro Irrigation Project have been filled with sand to upgrade the highway from Ashuganj river port to Akhaura land port into four lanes.

Around 34,000 farmers in 22 unions of four upazilas, including Ashuganj, will be deprived of irrigation facilities for IRRI-Boro production as the flow of water in the canal is badly disrupted due to dumping of sand.

According to Brahmanbaria Bangladesh Agriculture Development Corporation (BADC) sources, the upgrading work of the highway has started in full swing from July this year. Since then, the canals of BADC have been filled with sand from Ashuganj to Sarail Bishwaroad. If the canal was not filled, they would start irrigation for Boro cultivation in the first week of January. But now it has become completely uncertain.

This special project, locally known as 'Sabuj Prokolpo' was launched in 1975. At that time, prominent social workers--Mahbubul Huda Bhuiyan and Khorshed Sikder -- took initiative to use the waste water from Ashuganj power plant for irrigation of paddy land. The government further expanded this irrigation facility through BADC in 1978-79 as the yield was better by cultivating IRRI.

Since the launch of the project, a pond of the Power Development Board was being used as a cooling reservoir along the Dhaka-Sylhet highway in Ashuganj upazila headquarters. It is uncertain whether the irrigation project will continue as the pond was suddenly filled in June last year and work is underway to upgrade the highway into four lanes.

BADC officials said apart from Ashuganj, about 34,000 farmers of Sadar, Sarail and Nabinagar upazilas are the beneficiaries of the irrigation project. This irrigation is used to cultivate paddy on 15,000 hectares of land in 22 unions of the upazilas. The Baropit canal at Ashuganj adjacent to the Dhaka-Sylhet highway was being used as the main irrigation canal for the project. The canal has also been filled for expansion work of the highway.

They also said 56,250 tonnes of IRRI paddy is being produced every year by utilizing this irrigation facility. Local farmers used to get this benefit by paying irrigation tax.

Abdul Hannan, a farmer from Ashuganj Bahadurpur village, said, "It is not possible for us to sink deep tube-well. Our land will remain barren. We have to stay starved if there is no alternative for water management."

Contacted, Mohammad Obayed Hossain, executive engineer of BADC Brahmanbaria region, said they have informed the higher authorities about the matter.

He added that a nine-member convening committee, led by Zakir Hossain, additional secretary (planning wing) of the Ministry of Road Transport and Bridges, to find a way to keep the irrigation project running. The members of the committee made a recommendation on October 29 after a field visit.