Longing for a lively canal

The Lenga Canal at Sundarganj in Gaibandha has become seriously narrow and shallow, leaving farmers, who depend on it for irrigation, worried. In the lean season, the 45km water body dries up. Experts say if there was water in the canal during winter, around 5,000 acres of land could be cultivated in the season. Photo: Star

Thousands of poor farmers and fishermen have seen their livelihood options dwindle due to the siltation of the Lenga Canal during dry season.
In the 1990s the 45-kilometre canal that connects the Ghaghat river to the Jamuna at Gaibandha sadar was a major irrigation water and fish cultivation resource. However, the canal has suffered from siltation in more recent years.
As a result during the monsoon months the canal overflows, with riverside crops inundated, while in winter months it remains dry, said Nasimuddin, secretary of the Lenga Canal Water Management Society.
“Until 2004, we used canal water to irrigate Boro, but with siltation our fate became bleak,” said Rafiqul Mia, a farmer of Kashdaha village. He said alternative irrigation from deep tube wells cannot be managed while shallow tube wells often fail to draw water during Boro season.
Sudhir Chandra, a fisherman of village Ramjibon, said fishermen used to cultivate fish throughout the year but now remain jobless during winter.
Agriculture officials said around 5000 acres of land could be cultivated during dry season had there been water in the canal during winter.
ATM Mahbub Alam, chairman of Dhopadanga union parishad, said at least 5,000 people could cultivate land or fish if the canal is excavated, with an embankment built on the both sides.
In 2000, the Local Government Engineering Department, LGED, partly excavated Lenga canal and installed two sluice gates to control water overflow during the monsoon and store water during winter.
Shamsul Arefin Khan, upazila engineer of LGED in Sunderganj, told The Daily Star authorities have approved Tk 1.5 lakh to excavate the canal from Dakhin Ramjibon to Nagar Katgora in Bamondana.
Nasimuddin said however, that this money is nothing compared to the need. “We want comprehensive planning for excavation and adequate funding,” he said.