Thirty hectares of Aman paddy in Bagharpara, Jashore, have been scorched by fire from a brick kiln, farmers allege. Only three days earlier the green crop was swaying in the wind. More than 150 farmers on the land say they have suffered losses from the kiln's fire. The incident happened in the Dohakula field of Bagharpara upazila. After receiving complaints, the Bagharpara upazila nirbahi officer and the agriculture officer visited the affected area.

Speaking to several affected farmers of the Dohakula field, including Aminur, Sohel and Mizanur, the reporter learnt that a brick kiln named Five Star Bricks stands next to their paddy fields. After firing bricks, the kiln owner opened the mouth of the furnace on Sunday night to cool the kiln quickly. The flames rose 30 to 40 haat (cubits) into the air that night, burning the leaves and plants of Aman paddy on more than 200 bighas (30 hectares) of land to the north and north-west of the kiln. The Aman crop of at least 150 farmers was damaged. Most of the land in the field was planted with Gutiswarna and Habu paddy.

Iqbal Hossain, a farmer of Dohakula union, said he had spent a great deal of money growing paddy on six bighas. The crop was due to start heading within days, but before that the fire and smoke from the neighbouring Five Star kiln burned the paddy in every field in the area. "We have been badly hit," he said.

Farmer Badsha Mia said he had grown Habu paddy on two bighas in the field this year and the kiln fire had caused a huge loss. Farming there has faced problems ever since the kiln was set up, he said, and he demanded the removal of brick kilns from beside farmland.

A visit to the fields found the standing Aman crop on more than 200 bighas burned by the heat of the kiln fire. The plants have turned reddish; in places the whole plant, ears and all, has burned. As a result, farmers in the area will lose their Aman crop entirely this season, the report says. The affected farmers complained to the upazila nirbahi officer and the agriculture officer, who then inspected the field.

Shahin Hossain, owner of Five Star Bricks, said the kiln had been running for the past seven or eight months without harming farmers. The kiln was being blamed because the paddy plants in the field had suddenly turned red, he said. The kiln's fire and smoke might damage the paddy on one or two bighas, but it could not harm the crop on 200 bighas, he said.

Upazila agriculture officer Saiyeda Nasrin Jahan said the upazila nirbahi officer had visited the field. Paddy on about 30 hectares has been damaged, and farmers say the damage was caused by the kiln fire. The upazila nirbahi officer has given her, the agriculture officer, responsibility for investigating the matter.

Bagharpara upazila nirbahi officer (UNO) Hosne Ara Tanni said she had visited the site and assigned the upazila agriculture officer to investigate. Further steps will be taken once the investigation report is received, she said.

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