Work on digging a canal in Tarakanda, Mymensingh, has stalled because a landowner will not give up land. Without the canal, waterlogging on about 700 acres cannot be cleared, and farmers are unable to plant boro paddy even though the season has come.

Enquiries show that farmers cannot grow any crop in the fields of the Char Krishnapur area, in ward 8 of Kamaria union in Tarakanda upazila, because of waterlogging. In the rainy season, water even enters homes in the surrounding area. Following an application, the local administration decided to dig a canal.

Accordingly, last boro season the local administration began digging a canal of about one and a half kilometres, from the Krishnapur crop fields to the farmland of Suruj Ali of Mozaharadi village. The whole canal was nearly finished when a local former union parishad (UP) member, Md Mahabubul Alam Bulbul, blocked digging on a stretch of only 60 to 70 yards. He said he would not allow the canal to run through his land, and the work stopped.

Now, with the boro season here and water not draining from the land, local farmers applied to the Tarakanda upazila nirbahi officer on 5 December and 2 January for the canal to be dug. Following the applications, the UNO visited the site.

Then on 25 January the former UP member Bulbul agreed to give land for the canal. But next to Bulbul's land lies land belonging to Abdur Rahman, who is now refusing to give land for the canal. As a result, boro cultivation on about 700 acres is on hold.

Shajahan Mia of Char Krishnapur village said: "Because this canal has not been dug, waterlogging has built up on about 700 acres. In the rainy season water gets into homes too. Some time ago the canal digging stalled because Bulbul member said he would not let it pass through his land. Now Bulbul member has agreed to give land, but another man named Abdur is not agreeing. Only the administration can settle this now. Otherwise we farmers will suffer losses."

Md Altaf Hossain of the same village said: "Boro cultivation on 700 acres is stuck because of one person. Many farmers are worried about planting boro on this land. I have about 10 acres here too, and I can't plant boro because of the waterlogging. If I can't plant paddy on this land, my family and I will be ruined."

Former UP member Md Mahabubul Alam Bulbul said: "I have said the canal can run beside my land so that people do not suffer. If someone else now objects, there is nothing I can do about it."

Abdur Rahman said: "When the canal digging first began, I told the villagers that if the canal went over my 34 katha of land on the other side, I would not give land here. I do not have so much land that I can give 34 katha in one place and give more here as well. That is not possible."

Tarakanda upazila nirbahi officer (UNO) Mijabe Rahmat said no cropland can be left uncultivated. The matter will be settled by sitting down with both sides, and arrangements will be made so that farmers can plant boro, he said.

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