Once barren, now a farmers’ haven

Only a year ago, the 7,000 bighas of swampland of Sashikhali beel in Bagerhat's Shatgambuj union used to be barren due to inflow of water with high salinity from Doratana river through a sluice gate.

The area was only used as shrimp enclosures. Now, salinity has reduced significantly after the sluice gate was closed in April last year.

Since then, around 2,500 bighas of swampland have become agriculturally productive, producing 900 tonnes of paddy alongside a good harvest of vegetables and fruits including beans, cucumber, radish, cauliflower, cabbage, gourd, brinjal, and watermelon.

This is also benefitting more than 500 farmers and landowners.

Fish including different carps are also being reared in the water alongside shrimp.

Visiting the area recently, this correspondent saw some farmers planting paddy saplings in the swampland while vegetables were cultivated along the slopes of fish enclosures.

"I have 5.5 bighas of land here. After the salinity reduced, I cultivated 50 maunds of paddy last season. I am also cultivating some vegetables, watermelon, and rearing fish. I planted paddy saplings on one-bigha land this season," said Bibha Mondal, a farmer from Purba Saira village.

Abdul Hai, a landowner, said, "I own about 100 bighas of land in this beel. But there was no harvest due to salinity. After the inflow of saline water stopped last year, I cultivated Aman paddy and had a bumper yield."

"Of the 2,500 bighas of swampland that now support agriculture, most of the land is being used for paddy cultivation and fish rearing. At a cost of around Tk 5,000 to Tk 9,000 per bigha of land, a farmer gets yield of around 25-35 maunds of paddy, generating Tk 10,000- Tk 20,000," said farmer Ibrahim Sheikh.

Local UP chairman Sheikh Aktaruzzaman Bachchu said since the area is remote, with no road communication, it is challenging to transport the paddy and vegetables to markets after harvest. "Also, the area has no electricity connection, so irrigation is difficult in the dry season," he added.

Tanmoy Dutta, upazila agriculture officer, said, "A joint initiative of landowners, farmers and sharecroppers, public representatives, and the Department of Agricultural Extension saw the sluice gate closed in April last year. Since then, around 2,500 bighas of land became cultivable, while the salinity continues to reduce in the rest of the land gradually."