Poor Supply of Irrigation Water in Dry Season
Teesta boro farmers opt for tobacco cultivation
Tobacco plants cover a large field just beside a dry T1D2 tertiary canal under Teesta Irrigation Project at Sindoi village in Nilphamari Sadar upazila as many traditional boro farmers are now opting for tobacco cultivation due to lack of sufficient irrigational water in the dry season. Photo: STAR
A section of boro farmers are inclining to tobacco cultivation in the command area of Teesta Irrigation Project, the largest of its kind in the country, as Bangladesh Water Development Board (BWDB) has failed to provide adequate irrigational water in the dry season. This problem has arisen due to scanty flow in the Teesta River as Indian authorities closed all gates of Gajaldoba barrage in the upstream to store river water for their own use, said agriculture officials. Massive tobacco farming poses threat to human health and environment, in addition to affecting food production in the country, said agronomists, physicians and environmentalists. During a recent visit to Kukha Para, Singdoi, Ramnagar, Bahali Para of Sadar upazila, Kalkeut, Horish Chandra Path, Dakkhin Deshibai, Uttar Deshibai, Araji Kathali, Kathali villages of Jaldhaka upazila under the command area of Teesta Irrigation Project, this correspondent found that farmers have cultivated different varieties of tobacco on several thousand acres of land there. "We do not get water from the project during boro plantation period which starts from mid November. Farmers have to buy water from pump owners at additional cost of Tk 2200-2000 for diesel-run pump and Tk 1000 for electricity-run pump for plantation in a bigha (30 decimal) of land as BWDB starts supplying irrigational water from last week of January," said farmer Dabiruddin of Dakkhin Deshibai village in Jaldhaka upazila. Another farmer Chitta Ranjan Roy of Ramnagar village of Sadar upazila said, “Tender boro plants are often damaged in February and March as boro farmers get project's water on rationing basis after long interval as there is scanty water in the Teesta River. So, I cultivated tobacco on two bighas of land beside Dinajpur main branch canal as tobacco farming needs little irrigation." “My land is situated at remote part of two kilometre long side canal at Sindoi village. Farmers in upstream divert water from this narrow canal to their fields depriving remote farmers. And so, I have cultivated tobacco that has high market price,” said farmer Zahidul Islam. “Tobacco cultivation has almost doubled during the last couple of years in the command area of Teesta project as farmers are not getting sufficient irrigational water for boro cultivation,” said Mizanur Rahman, former chairman of Ramnagar union parishad of Sadar upazila. Admitting that farmers are inclining to tobacco cultivation in some areas under Teesta Irrigation Project, Agriculture Extension Officer of BWDB in Teesta Irrigation project area Amalesh Chandra Roy said, “We usually face difficulty to provide irrigational water to boro farmers in February-March for scanty water in Teesta River as India closed all gates of Gajaldoba barrage in the upstream to store water for irrigation in its territory." "This year, the lowest flow was 400-500 cusec water in the river in March although it needs at least 3500-4000 cusec for smooth irrigation,” he added. He however said that tobacco cultivation does not hamper paddy as after harvesting tobacco, farmers cultivate 'aus' paddy which needs less irrigation. BWDB sources said the first phase of giant Teesta Irrigation Project commenced in 1998, had an initial target to provide irrigation to 1,11,406 hectares of land in Rangpur, Nilphamari and Dinajpur districts. But due to low flow of water in the Teesta river, BWDB has reset a target to provide irrigation to only 42,500 hectares of land (I hectare= 2,47 acres) in this year's boro season, said Executive Engineer of BWDB's Dalia Division Zohurul Islam. "Massive tobacco farming hinders government's efforts to attain food security as it occupies paddy cultivation areas," said agriculturist Jahangir Alam, also retired deputy director (DD) of the Department of Agriculture Extension (DAE) in Panchagarh district. "Different deadly diseases are caused due to smoking and direct consumption of dried tobacco leaves like jarda. Smoke of cigarettes and powered tobacco locally known as 'gul' also pollute air," said Dr Abdul Mazid, acting civil surgeon of Nilphamari.
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