Unplanned Canals, Bridges
Aman on 2,000 hectares damaged in Tangail
Vast tracts of aman cropland have turned into grazing fields in 50 villages of Basil upazila of Tangail, thanks to unplanned canals, bridges and culverts in the area.Photo: STAR
Aman paddy on two-fifths of around five thousand hectares of land in Basail upazila under the district got damaged this year as irrigation was hampered due to construction of bridges and culverts and digging of canals in an unplanned way. Amid the problem persisting for years, vast areas of croplands in 50 villages under Sadar, Habla and Kanchanpur unions under Basail upazila have turned into grazing fields where farmers often feed their planted paddy to cattle, said farmers and agriculture officials. Authorities concerned are yet to take any practical measures to solve the problem, local farmers said, adding that six canals, dug at different places of the upazila spending Tk 2 crore during the last three and a half years, proved of too ineffective to save crops from water crisis. The canals were dug in relatively high areas and so, they carry insufficient water, they added. Visiting different villages in Basail Sadar union during the last couple of days, this correspondent saw paddy being fed to the cattle. "This year aman paddy on my 10 bighas of land was damaged due to lack of water. Other farmers in the area also suffered similar situation as all the water channels in the area got closed due to unplanned construction of bridges and culverts as well as dwelling houses. The situation has continued for years," said Golam Mostofa, a farmer of Andirapara village in Basail Sadar union. Several farmers said in previous years they were able to preserve the seeds of aman but they could not do it this year. Aman paddy was cultivated on 5,065 hectares of land in the upazila this year, said sources at Basail upazila agriculture office. Upazila Agriculture Officer Amir Hamza said, "In Kanchanpur, Habla and Sadar unions under the upazila, paddy on 1700 hectares of land was fully damaged and the crop on about 300 hectares of land partially damaged as there was lack of necessary rain this year. Most of the canals and water bodies in the areas have been filled up. Construction of bridges, culverts as well as dwelling houses blocked openings of the watercourses, creating crisis of irrigation water to cultivate crops, especially aman paddy in the areas." Basail upazila parishad Chairman Kazi Olid Islam urged digging a three-kilometre-long canal and construction of a sluice gate to facilitate aman cultivation in the area.
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