Ponds are being dug unchecked on triple-crop paddy land across Tarash in Sirajganj. Local people allege that the land use of farmland is being changed in disregard of the law by "managing" the administration. With ponds dug here and there, drainage has been blocked and thousands of bighas of land are suffering permanent waterlogging.

The local administration says the culprits dig late at night and flee when they sense a raid coming. Officials say they go on drives wherever they get information.

According to the upazila agriculture and fisheries departments, Tarash has 29,732 hectares of farmland in total, of which 7,000 bighas are lying under water. There are 4,227 ponds on 2,400 hectares, dug over the past decade without permission from the agriculture department. Section 4(1) of the Agricultural Land Protection Act 2016 (draft) says the use-based class of farmland cannot be changed in any way. The Land Crime Prevention and Remedy Act 2023 has also been ignored, and the Brick Manufacturing and Kiln Establishment (Control) Act 2013 bans cutting soil from farmland, hills and hillocks to make bricks.

A visit found ponds being dug on about 60 bighas of paddy land in the open fields between Bansbaria and Goal mouzas in Naogaon union, 50 bighas in Mohishluti village, 25 bighas in Pongrouhali beel, 25 bighas beside Babla Tola in Chakrochulla, 5 bighas in Ghorgram field beside the Mannan Nagar road, and at the Ponwta-Tetulia road, where the mouth of a bridge has been blocked. Ponds are also being dug in Kaurail, Solapara, Amshara and around the West WAPDA embankment in Tarash municipality.

Abed Ali, a farmer in Bansbaria village, said that if the 60 bighas of paddy land between Bansbaria and Goal mouzas are dug up, nearly a thousand bighas of farmland in the Shastan and Solapara fields will be flooded.

Sohrab Hossain, an affected farmer in Madhabpur village, said water has been trapped for six years in the wide fields of Madhabpur, Mathurapur, Bidimagura, Chak Gopinathpur, Boalia and Solapara villages in Tarash Sadar union. These fields used to grow three crops a year, but because illegal ponds have been dug here and there, several thousand bighas are under water.

Tarash police station officer-in-charge (OC) Habibur Rahman said he will cooperate if the upazila nirbahi officer takes action against illegal pond digging.

Upazila nirbahi officer (UNO) Nusrat Jahan said four ponds have already been fined through a mobile court, and the drive is continuing.

Deputy commissioner Aminul Islam expressed concern and sought cooperation from people at all levels to stop illegal pond digging.

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