Man-made waterlogging hinders crop cultivation on 2,000 acres
As a few locals allegedly belonging to the ruling party put up bamboo and net barricades at Kageshwari canal for fishing in adjacent five beels (water bodies), persistent waterlogging hinders cultivation of onions and other dry season crops on around two thousand acres of land in the water bodies in Santhia upazila of Pabna.Photo: STAR
Massive waterlogging hinders cultivation of onion and other dry season crops on two thousand acres of land in adjoining five beels (water bodies) in Santhia upazila under the district as a few locals set up bamboo and net barricades for fishing there. In violation of the rule, five activists of local Awami League (AL) put barricades at Kageshwari canal for fishing in Gopinathpur Beel, Kalaichora Beel, Ghughudaha Beel and Gourigram Beel in Santhia upazila, locals told this correspondent during his visit to the area a couple of days ago. “Kageshwari canal removes water from the adjoining five water bodies in the upazila. But water has remained stagnant in the water bodies as barricades have been set up at the entrances of the canal for fishing projects,” said Md Abdul Kader, assistant agriculture officer of Santhia upazila. Due to the situation, the farmers cannot start cultivation of onion and other dry season crops on at least two thousand acres of land this season, he said. "If we cannot start onion cultivation within this month it will be difficult to get expected production. We have urged the agriculture office to take immediate step for removing waterlogging in the area but to no effect," said Md Abdul Khaleque, an onion farmer of Ghughudaha Beel. Md Anwar Hossain, a farmer of Gupinathpur village, said the local administration is not taking any step as the problem creators belong to the ruling party. When asked about ruling party men's alleged involvement in the harmful act, Santhia upazila unit AL convener Md Abdullah Al Mahmud Delwar said, “Awami League is a democratic party. If anybody creates any problem to public interest we will never support him. We have already urged the local administration to take step.” Santhia Upazila Agriculture Officer Md Lokman Hossain, said, "We have discussed the matter in the upazila level development meeting to solve the problem so that the farmers can cultivate crops timely." "Nobody has the right to create obstacle to the flow of water. We will take step," Santhia Upazila Nirbahi Officer Md Abdur Razzak said.
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