Restoration of canals revives hope in 3 Kalapara villages

The recent re-excavation of two silted canals, Kumrimara and Majidpur, has brought much joy and happiness to thousands of inhabitants of three villages in Kalapara upazila.

The farming communities in the villages -- Kumirmara, Majidpur and Sonatala -- have been suffering for long as water for irrigation stopped flowing in the two silted up canals. 

With fresh water flowing in the canals, farmers in the three villages -- known as 'village of vegetables' -- already started to cultivate Aman and Boro rice along with various seasonal vegetables.  

Many of the villagers said they now look forward to a prosperous future and the days of hardship they endured would only be in their memories. 

At least three thousand bighas of land in the villages will come under round-the-year cultivation of crops after the canals were excavated along a length of about two kilometres.

Bangladesh Agriculture Development Corporation (BADC) under 'Small Holder Agricultural Competitiveness Project' completed the re-excavation work at a cost of Tk 85 lakh in 2019-20 fiscal year.

Underground pipe lines have also been built to supply irrigation water to croplands located as far as one kilometre from the canals.

Mohammad Solaiman, engineer of BADC in Patuakhali, said that apart from the excavation of the canals, the BADC would also install water tanks at farmers' houses for harvesting rainwater. 

The water reservoirs would enable the farmers irrigate vegetable fields or meet household needs during dry seasons and they would install such tanks, with 2,000 litres capacity, at 100 houses over the next one year, he added.

Farmer Zakir Gazi, from Kumrimara village, said, "The irrigation crisis is over. Farmers in the three villages are now cultivating vegetables and rice again. About 200 farmers have cultivated Boro this season."

The two canals will now help them grow different crops all year long, said Sultan Gazi and Abul Kalam, two farmers from the same village.

Abdul Mannan, agriculture extension officer for Kalapara upazila, said after the re-excavation of the silted canals, the area will no longer have water logging during the wet season and there will be plenty of water for irrigation during the dry season.   

Thanks to the initiative of the government, food production in the area will see an increase, which will ultimately play a role in increasing the overall food production in the country, he also hoped.