Because a Water Development Board (WDB) sluice gate at the mouth of the Pagla river in Shibganj, Chapainawabganj, remains closed, at least 33,000 to 35,000 bighas of double-cropped land in the Khirir beel area are still under water. With water hyacinth spreading and the water not draining in time, about 4,000 farmers face uncertainty over mustard and other rabi crops, Ekattor TV reports.
Local people say Khirir beel takes in 16,000 bighas in Bilbhatia in Shibganj, 10,000 bighas in Amgachhi in Bholahat and about 9,000 bighas in Daipukuria union. The land is low-lying and stays flooded long after the monsoon. By custom, the gate at the mouth of the Pagla near Kansat town is opened in October or early November, the water drains, and mustard and other crops can be grown on about 95 percent of the land.
Under pressure from farmers, the gate was opened three days ago but shut again within an hour. Md Tajamul Haque, 60, of Daipukuria said water standing on his six bighas means he cannot sow any seasonal crop. Another farmer, Masikul Islam, has 35 of his 60 bighas in the beel and, with the land full of water and hyacinth, worries how he will support his family for the year. Locals including Monirul Islam and Al Amin allege that influential people are keeping the gate shut.
Shibganj upazila nirbahi officer Mazharul Islam said the authorities were aware of the waterlogging and would talk to those concerned, visit the site, identify the real cause and act quickly to drain the land.
Mehedi Hasan, WDB executive engineer, said a committee of a WDB engineer, the UNO, local representatives and farmers controls the Kansat sluice gate. The gate was opened recently on the committee's decision, he said, but closed again in the evening at the request of some people. He said the matter would be investigated and the gate opened quickly in the farmers' interest after meeting the committee. The report is by Ekattor TV's Chapainawabganj correspondent.
Photo: Hopeoflight / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0)
Source: Ekattor TV
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