62,000 bighas in Bagerhat remain uncultivated for water logging

14 November 2011, 18:00 PM

Unb, Bagerhat

Water logging has been hampering cultivation, particularly of aman paddy on 62,000 bighas of land for long in the district, causing a crop loss worth around Tk 25 crore every year. Of the waterlogged land, there are 16,350 bighas in Sadar, 17,775 bighas in Mollahat, 16,875 bighas in Rampal, 788 bighas in Fakirhat, 1,875 bighas in Morelganj, 3,900 bighas in Sharankhola, 3000 bighas in Mongla, 937 bighas in Chitalmari and 500 bighas in Kachua upazilas, officials said. The perennial water logging is being attributed to silt of the rivers and canals, indiscriminate construction of sluice gates and fish farming in the canals by the local influential people. When cyclonic storm Aila hit the district in 2009, 6-8 foot high tidal surge washed away shrimp worth Tk 200 crore. Because of stagnant water for a long time, salinity in soil increased much. Over 1,000 kilometres of canals, which were dug for draining out water, have remained useless for long, as the canals were blocked at some points either because of silt or construction of dams for fish farming. The water discharge points of the water bodies have also been blocked by the influential people for fish farming at the cost of other farmers cultivating different crops, locals and officials alleged. The water bodies include Kodalia, Syedpur, Kendua, Badokhali, Chunkhola, Rasulpur, Bhatparah, Sugandhi, Chanpur, Dhansagor, Srirampur, Haldibunia, Perikhali, Burirdanga, Kulia, Hizla, Boalia, Lokpur and Bhabna. Water logging is also contributing to the fall in production of vegetables, coconut and betel-nut. Groves of coconut, betel-nut and trees are being damaged due to the water logging, also causing acute fodder crisis. Government has taken up a project in the district at a cost of Tk 122 crore to resolve the problem of water logging. Under the project, 110km riverbed will be excavated, 50 km embankment and 13 sluice gates will be built. After execution of this project, people of various upazilas will be freed from water logging, officials said. Farmers Amzad Hossain, Abdul Mazid, Kabir Sheikh, Ripon Hawlader and some others of Rampal and Mollahat upazilas told the news agency that water logging has become a curse, as they are yet to cultivate a single paddy plant on their land after harvest of the transplanted aman. Abdul Gofur, deputy director of Department of Agriculture Extension (DAE) said they have already brought the problem to the notice of the ministry concerned and sought a permanent solution to it. Around 20,000 more tonnes of paddy could be produced if the water logged lands were cultivated, he added. Khalilur Rahman, executive engineer of Water Development Board (WDB) here told the wire service that due to lack of excavation, rivers and canals have become silted. As a result, sluice gates are not working properly. He said a combined water management project involving Tk 122 crore is now in planning commission for approval. If the project is approved and implemented, local people will get relief from water logging problem, he observed.