Staff Reporter, Moulvibazar //

Boro paddy cultivation is being hampered due to water shortage in Moulvibazar. Seedbeds have been damaged.

Despite farmers in the lowlands informing various government departments, no initiative has been taken to remove multiple cross dams in the Kanjar Haor area. This has made Boro cultivation of about 2,000 hectares of land uncertain.

The condition of the agriculture-friendly reservoir Kudali Chhatra and other chhatras is pathetic. Due to lack of water on both sides of the chhatras, farmers are worried about Boro cultivation.

People of more than 50 villages in Mostafapur, Giasnagar and Nazirabad unions of Moulvibazar Sadar Upazila are uncertain about Boro cultivation due to water shortage. The length of the Kudali Chhatra flowing from the Phatabil in Moulvibazar municipal area is 17.5 kilometers.

Due to the construction of multiple cross dams in the Kanjar Haor area upstream of the river, farmers in the lower areas are not getting water. As a result, boro cultivation has become uncertain in about 2,000 hectares of land on both sides of the Kudali River downstream of the cross dam. Many farmers are unable to plant seedlings in the land as the cultivated land has cracked and hardened due to lack of water. In many places, seedlings in the seedbed are getting old and are being destroyed.

Farmers are unable to cultivate boro in at least 50 villages including Noagaon, Karimnagar, Sungair, Markona, Sikrail, Aktabhara, Bhujbal, Radhakantapur, Gomra, Niteshwar and Fazilpur in Giasnagar Union; Ajmeru, Gayghar, and part of Jagannathpur areas in Mostafapur Union due to irrigation crisis. However, in some places in these areas, some farmers have been able to meet their irrigation needs to some extent by installing their own deep tube wells, but this is not possible for most farmers.

Abzal Mia, a farmer from the Sadar area, said that he has prepared seedlings in the seedbed for cultivation of 100 bighas in the current Boro season. Due to lack of water, he has been able to plant seedlings in only 30 bighas. Discussions are underway with the owner of a fishery 400 yards away from his land regarding water. If he gets water, he will be able to plant seedlings in another 30 bighas of land. The remaining 40 bighas of land will remain uncultivated.

Farmer Arafat Mia said that last year he cultivated about 250 bighas of land with water from a spade. This year, he has not been able to raise any water to soak his land. The seedlings in the seedbed are getting spoiled. This year, the entire 250 bighas of land will remain uncultivated.
Sharecroppers Eklim Mia, Sonachan Das, Alim Mia, Nitai Debnath and Sujan Mia said that they first raised water from the land with a pump machine and cultivated it. Currently, the land is drying up and hardening due to lack of water.

Local farmers said that they had written a complaint to the Moulvibazar Sadar Upazila Executive Officer on January 13 regarding the removal of the cross dam upstream. The farmers have given a copy to the Deputy Commissioner, Deputy Director of the Department of Agricultural Extension, and Executive Engineer of the Water Development Board. As there is no solution to this issue, many farmers in the lowland areas are unable to cultivate Boro.

Deputy Director of the Department of Agricultural Extension Md. Shamsuddin Ahmed told The Daily Morning Sun that this year, the target of Boro paddy cultivation has been set on 62,100 hectares of land. Planting work has already been completed on about 41,536 hectares of land. They have written to various government offices as the farmers in the lowland areas are not getting water. The Agriculture Department has informed the administration about the water problem as it has not been resolved. The issue will be raised separately in the District Development and Coordination Committee meeting.

Executive Engineer of the Water Development Board Md. Khaled Bin Oled said that a proposal has been sent to the higher authorities regarding providing water from the Manu Barrage to the boro plantations on both sides of the Kudali Chhatra as a permanent solution. Some hilly chhatras are connected to the Kudali Chhatra and farmers are facing problems due to lack of water source. An attempt will be made to resolve the issue by talking to the local administration about the cross dam.

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