Boro rice cultivation on nearly 2,000 hectares of land in Abhaynagar, Jashore, has become uncertain because of waterlogging in the Bhabodah area. Farmers say that although water has been drained through a government irrigation project, parts of four unions of the upazila and Noapara municipality are still not fit for rice farming. Upazila agriculture officer Lovely Khatun has promised to support affected farmers under an incentive programme.

According to the Abhaynagar upazila agriculture office, the target for boro cultivation this season is 14,230 hectares. Because of the long-running waterlogging, boro will not be grown on 1,900 hectares this time: 100 hectares in Prembag union, 900 hectares in Sundoli union, 400 hectares in Chalishia union, 300 hectares in Payra union and 200 hectares in Noapara municipal area.

A visit found the standing water in the four unions and the municipal area has started to recede. Most beels in the waterlogged unions still hold 7-10 inches of water. Several beels and residential areas in wards 5, 6 and 7 of the municipality still have 3-5 inches of water.

Ziaur Rahman of Sorkhola village in ward 5 of the municipality said boro cannot be grown on his 6 bighas this year because of waterlogging. He said the agriculture office is giving no help. "The curse of Bhabodah waterlogging has left farmers like us in trouble. Unless there is a permanent solution, farmers will be forced to leave farming for other work," he said.

Kamruzzaman Tarafdar of Kota village in Chalishia union said his 70 bighas of farmland are still waterlogged. Last year, in the Bengali month of Magh, he grew rice inside a gher (fish enclosure). This year it is not possible to grow rice in either the beel or the gher. He said that unless affected farmers of the Bhabodah area get government support, they will one day sell all their property and move elsewhere, so farmers demand a permanent solution to the waterlogging.

Upazila agriculture officer Lovely Khatun said water has started to recede from the waterlogged areas. Even so, the boro target will not be met this time, because cultivation has become uncertain on 1,900 hectares of the upazila and municipal area.

She said the process of listing affected farmers is under way, and they will be helped under the incentive programme in future.

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