Water crisis hampers Boro farming in Moulvibazar, Bagerhat’s Kachua

Scanty irrigation due to lack of water in canals worries Boro farmers in different areas including Moulvibazar district and Kachua upazila of Bagerhat.

The problem in Moulvibazar has arisen due to lack of dredging in several areas under the Manu River Irrigation Project while scanty rain aggravates the situation, reports our correspondent.

"I fear huge loss as water did not reach my land near the end of the canal. In some places water level saw a drastic fall," said Kader Mia, a Boro farmer of Ekatuna area under Moulvibazar Sadar upazila.

There is much less rainfall this year compared to last year's, said Chandra Biswas, a farmer of Dildarpur area in Kulaura upazila.

"The Boro planting season usually ends in January. But due to the water crisis, I could not start planting it on my lands. If there is further delay in planting, I would get much less than expected yield," said ATM Alamgir Hossain, a farmer of Raisree area.

Saber Mia, a power tiller operator at Dakkhinbaligaon village in Moulvibazar Sadar upazila, said, "Due to lack of irrigation, we have to plough through the rough soil, for which engines consume more fuel."

Several farmers said they have to use more fertilizer as the dryness of soil makes it less fertile.

Solvent farmers are buying small machines for irrigation but poor and marginal ones cannot afford it, they said.

Rat infestation adds to the problem in some places.

Rakib Chowdhury, president of Moulvibazar Seed Farmers Association, said, "There is shortage of water at many places including Shamra Bazar, Ekatuna and Raipur areas, especially at the end of the irrigation canals. Most of the village canals have turned into grasslands. Six out of my 20 acres of land has remained uncultivated due to the irrigation crisis."

"We need a sustainable water reservoir to solve the problem," he said.

Kazi Lutful Bari, deputy director of Moulvibazar Department of Agricultural Extension, said, "To get a good yield of Boro rice, the farmers need to have a steady supply of water throughout the process from sowing to harvesting. Otherwise, the crop suffers from disease, malnutrition and pest attack."

"We need a long-term sustainable plan and its implementation to solve this problem," said Advocate Bazlul Majid Chowdhury, president of Haor Bachao, Sunamganj Bachao Andolon.

Ranendra Shankar Chakraborty, executive engineer of Water development Board, Moulvibazar said they have done repair work in some areas to raise the level of the embankment.

"This year Tk 50 lakh has been allocated for the project of 105 km dam and allocated. It is not possible to do everything with such a small allocation. Manu rehabilitation project is being taken. Through this project, everything including canals, dam will be fixed," he said.

Our Bagerhat Correspondent reports: The farmers' of Badhal union in Kachua upazila of Bagerhat are facing severe water crisis to irrigate their Boro lands and fish cultivation as canals that earlier carried freshwater are drying up.

The canals in several villages including Sangdia, Afra, Kalmibuniya, Mosni and Bilkul of the union are in dying condition, locals said, adding that if the situation continues, freshwater of the ponds will dry, causing drinking water crisis.

"We are not getting water for irrigation of Boro paddy lands and fish farming. We need urgent dredging of the canals here," said Liton Sheikh, a farmer of Kalmibuniya village.

Kamrul Paik, another farmer of the village, said, "People throw waste materials into the canals and some people made wooden bridge in Sangdia-Bakultala canal, blocking two sides of the waterbody."

"The farmers and the owners of fish enclosures are in a great crisis as the canals of Kanderkhal, Kalmibuniya, Sangdia-Bokultala, Bilkul and Atarogati areas are dying. The Biskhali River, which supplies freshwater into the canals, is also silted up," said Nakib Foysal Ohid, chairman of Badhal union parishad.

"We urged the authorities to dredge the river and the canals as early as possible," he added.

Kachua Upazila Agriculture Extension officer Lovely Khanam said, "Boro paddy has been cultivated on 6700 hectares of land in Kachua upazila and 1050 hectares of it is in Badhal union. We have informed the district water management committee about the water crisis in the area."

Contacted, Executive Engineer of Water Development Board Nahiduzzaman Khan said, "We have a plan to conduct dredging work in the Biskhali river as well as some canals in Badhal union as early as possible, as it is badly needed for irrigation.''