Watermelon farmers in Kalapara worried

Saline water affects vast watermelon fields in two unions of Kalapara upazila in Patuakhali district as a broken door of a sluice gate remains without any repair for long. PHOTO: STAR

Saline water has continued entering the cultivable land through the broken door of a sluice gate, much to the worry of a large number of watermelon farmers in Kalapara upazila.
The affected growers of Dhankhali and Champapur unions of the upazila formed a human chain in the sluice gate area on February 3, demanding immediate steps to resolve the problem.
The participants said that the saline water started entering their watermelon fields after one of the three-door sluice gate was broken six months ago.  
Over 1000 farmers of the areas were cultivating the fruit for the last few years as it was more profitable than paddy farming.
Kalapara upazila agriculture extension office sources said, about 500 hectares of land in the area have been brought under watermelon cultivation this year. Of them, the DAE fixed a target for cultivating the fruit on 70 percent of the land in the unions.
Farmer Abdur Rashid Akon of Dhankhali village expressed grave concern as he cultivated watermelon on his 26 acres of land this year.
Despite repeated appeals, the authorities are yet to take any steps to repair the broken door of the sluice gate, he said.
Other farmers -- Rashid, Hanif Mridha, Abdur Razzak Mridha and Nazib Sikder of the village -- made similar allegations.
We earned about Tk 50 lakh from selling the fruit last year, said grower Akon.
We will incur a serious loss this year if the authorities did not repair the sluice gate in time, he said.
Upazila agriculture officer Md Moshiur Rahman said, non-stop flow of saline water into the lands threatened watermelon cultivation.
Contacted, Kalapara WDB sub-assistant engineer Abul Basher, immediate steps would be taken to repair the broken door of the sluice gate.