Just four years ago, farmers could not cultivate hectare after hectare of land because of waterlogging. Even when they borrowed to plant their fields, the crop often never reached home. That picture has now changed. More than 16,000 hectares of fallow farmland have come under cultivation, rice production has risen, and more than 1.5 lakh farmers in six upazilas of Naogaon are reaping the benefits.

The farmers said a single canal excavation project by the Barind Multipurpose Development Authority (BMDA) has changed the picture. The project, called the "Naogaon District Waterlogging Removal Project", began in the 2015-16 financial year.

According to the BMDA, about 93 km of canals have been dug under the project across six upazilas: Naogaon Sadar, Manda, Raninagar, Atrai, Patnitala and Dhamoirhat. There are 13 foot-over bridges and cross dams in all.

The project cost a total of Tk 79 crore 12 lakh and was completed in the 2018-19 financial year. Thanks to it, more than 4 lakh tonnes of extra crops, including rice and rabi crops, can now be produced each year.

Afzal Shah, a farmer from the Magna Komorkotha area of Naogaon Sadar upazila, said that before the canals were dug, floodwater would stand and houses would go under. Rice planting was delayed by two to three months, and floods arrived before harvest time, so much of the rice could not be brought in. Now crops are planted on time.

Inchher Ali, a farmer from the Goriachan area of Manda upazila, said the work has secured the boro crop and made the land fit for cultivation. Where a hectare used to yield 60 to 70 maunds of rice, it now yields 100 to 110 maunds.

ATM Mahfuzur Rahman, project director and BMDA executive engineer, said: "Before, we could not produce aman, aus, boro or rabi crops. Now the fallow land has come under cultivation." About 80,000 women and 85,000 men are benefiting, he said. Since the project was implemented, the area has been producing about Tk 230 crore worth of extra crops a year. Beyond rice, the initiative has also created opportunities for vegetable farming and duck rearing.

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