Crops washed away as dike collapses in Pabna
Breach in the earth-made dike, inset, of Pabna Irrigation and Rural Development Project at Sondoho village in Bera upazila of Pabna flooded several hundred bigha of farmland with planted boro paddy and other winter crops in adjacent areas on Saturday night. Photo: STAR
At least 500 bigha of lands cultivated with winter crops including boro have been washed away following collapse of Water Development Board irrigation canal dike at Sondoho village of Bera upazila under the district on Saturday. As water of the irrigation canal under 'Pabna Irrigation and Rural Development Project' entered the cultivated lands of Duglar Beel, Sondoho, Sanila and adjoining villages of the upazila, irrigation under the project has remained suspended for the last three days during the peak Boro cultivation season. Irrigation Canal I-3, S-1 under 'Pabna Irrigation and Rural Development Project' got damaged at Sondoho village only two months after its repair in December, before the irrigation, sources said. Six thousand hectares of lands in the district, including 4.5 thousand hectares in Bera upazila, are irrigated under the project. “The earth-made dike of the irrigation canal I-3, S-1 was damaged due to heavy pressure of water and some lands were washed. We have started the repair work immediately. We are hopeful to start the irrigation again within one or two days.” Md Nurul Akter, sub-divisional engineer of Bera Water Board, said yesterday. Different sources including farmers alleged that the damage occurred as reckless corruption by the water board officials led to faulty repair work in the irrigation canals. “Like other years, huge repair work was completed in December, 2009 in Pabna Irrigation and Rural Development Project. At least Tk 1 crore was spent for repairing 500 km irrigation canals. The irrigation started on January 1," an official of Bera water division said yesterday. “As the work was not completed properly the irrigation canal collapsed only two months after starting the irrigation. There were huge irregularities and corruption in the work,” said an official seeking anonymity. The canals of Pabna irrigation project under Bera water division gets damaged every year during the peak irrigation period, much to the sufferings of the farmers. Bera water board officials, however, denied the allegation of faulty repair work and said the sudden damage in the irrigation canal was 'an accident'. “I had cultivated seven bigha of lands that leases for Tk 33 thousand. I have cultivated boro crops here spending Tk 25 thousand. But the cultivated lands damaged due to the collapse of irrigation canal,” said Nur Mohammad, a farmer of Koromja village. Many other farmers of Sanila and Sondoho villages in Bera upazila have similar tales to tell.
For all latest news, follow The Daily Star's Google News channel.
Comments