Irrigation has stopped on 3,000 acres of boro land in Austagram upazila because the Baithakhali river in Kishoreganj has dried up. Several thousand farmers are in trouble and fear damage to boro rice, their only crop. They are demanding the quick restart of irrigation schemes by digging a channel (nala) from the river.

The Baithakhali river is the main source of irrigation for boro rice on several thousand acres in three unions on both its banks in Austagram upazila. For the past few years, around January, both ends of the river have dried up and the flow of water has stopped. Boro irrigation then runs on water trapped in the riverbed.

Farmers said that with no rain this season, the monsoon water held back in the river has run out. As a result, 7-8 irrigation schemes serving about 3,000 acres of boro land have been shut for 10 days. Farmers are worried as the green paddy fields are gradually turning pale for lack of water.

The 7-8 irrigation schemes in various haors, including Gayela, Bordoli, Chhatia, Keuda, Jaldub, Kabirkhandaner Char, Kanta Badhaghat and Machhilla, in Kalma, Purba Austagram and Sadar unions of Austagram upazila, have been shut for 10 days since the river dried up. As a result, much of the land is cracking for lack of water.

Farmer Rashid Mia said boro rice in the haor area should now be coming into ear. Without water in the fields at this time, the ears that emerge will be very weak and there will be more empty grains.

Mofiz Uddin, a farmer of Jaldub haor, said that to restart the closed irrigation schemes quickly this season, a two-kilometre channel must be dug in the Baithakhali river to restore irrigation. Otherwise thousands of farmers like him will suffer.

Humayun Kabir Dana, a farmer in Austagram's Boro Haor, said: "We are farmers. Our lives and livelihoods depend on this one boro crop. This time there is a severe irrigation crisis in our haor. There is no alternative to dredging the Baithakhali river, both to solve the irrigation problem quickly and to keep boats moving."

Bachhir Mia, a farmer of Purba Austagram, said that because they could not irrigate on time, the rice yield will be lower this year. "We want a channel cut in this river for now to provide irrigation. That will save farmers' crops. Otherwise the country will suffer along with us."

Syed Faiyaz Hasan Babu, chairman of Austagram Sadar union parishad, said irrigation has been stopped for 10-12 days since the Baithakhali river dried up. He called for a channel to be dug quickly to restart the irrigation schemes and for the river to be dredged as a local solution. Otherwise thousands of farmers will suffer, he said.

Asadul Haque, sub-assistant engineer of BADC (irrigation) in Austagram upazila, said that on hearing of the irrigation crisis he immediately inspected the site and informed higher authorities. If the land is not irrigated now, farmers will suffer, he said, and the necessary action will be taken once instructions are received.

Source: Jagonews24. First published in Bengali on The Agro News.