Alleging widespread irregularities and corruption in different works, people from the haor region have said scientific research on the haors' crop protection embankments is urgently needed.

Speakers made the demand at a human chain in front of the National Press Club on the morning of 2 May, organised by Haor Anchalbashi, Dhaka. It called for effective action to end waterlogging in the haors, compensation for farmers who lost crops to untimely floods, and other demands.

The speakers said there have been three spells of rain this boro season, from mid-March to the end of April. With embankments breaking in several haors, crops on at least 45,000 hectares in the haor region have gone under water so far.

They said hail has also damaged crops on at least 800 hectares. Rain is still continuing in the haors and in the hills of Meghalaya, and according to the weather forecast the losses could grow further.

The boro crop is the only source of income for people in the haor region. Paddy that has been harvested so far cannot be dried because of the rain, and much of it has rotted, the human chain was told.

Saying that waterlogging had never been seen on such a scale as this year, the speakers blamed mainly the excessive rain caused by climate change and the haors' unplanned crop protection embankments. Embankments are being built in the haors without any scientific survey or research, they said.

• Take effective action to end waterlogging in the haors
• Provide year-round food aid to farmers who lost crops to untimely floods
• Dredge rivers, canals and beels in the haors on a large scale to ensure water flow
• Stop building unplanned roads and embankments through the middle of the haors
• Take scientific action, based on research, for a lasting solution to the haors' problems
• Build sluice gates at strategically chosen locations to end waterlogging
• Bring to justice those involved in irregularities and corruption in the haor crop protection embankments
• Waive instalments of agricultural loans and NGO loans for affected farmers
• Solve the haors' problems quickly by combining local farmers' experience with researchers' technical knowledge

Whether it is a flood or waterlogging, the speakers said, the farmer's loss is the same: the golden crop he dreamed of goes under water. Farmers borrow to cultivate, and farming families' rituals, weddings and children's education costs all depend on the crop. Not only crops but livestock too now face a feed crisis.

Speakers included Dr Halim Dad Khan, chief coordinator of Haor Anchalbashi; Advocate Abed Raja Chowdhury; Imtesar Ahmed Chowdhury; former additional secretary Golam Shafiq; Advocate Farid Ahmed; Professor Dr Shahin Reza Chowdhury; Principal MA Monayem; Kashmir Reza, president of Paribesh O Haor Unnayan Sangskar; Khaled Sanowar; Burhan Uddin Ahmed; and Kamrul Hasan Babu, general secretary of Haor Anchalbashi, Dhaka. Dr Syed Umar Khaiyam presided, and Menon Chowdhury conducted the event.

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