Fish farming by ruling party activists is blocking the water supply needed to irrigate Boro paddy, thereby severely damaging its cultivation, as well as endangering the local environment at the Uttar Satla area of Wazirpur upazila in Barisal.
After speaking with locals, this correspondent learned that crop-lands in the area can only be cultivated once in a year.
Hundreds of local families depend on farming the 1,200 acres of land, and fishing on open waters of the canal that flows in the area.
Recently, however, a group of influential ruling party activists, led by union AL president and defeated UP chairman candidate Liton Molla, his associates Nasiruddin, Aiub Ali Mia, and others, started fish-farming by blocking the canal at Muchibari point in the area.
This action essentially stopped the natural flow of the canal, which connects to Waizirpur, Agoiljhara and Gournadi upazilas in the district.
Porimal Bain, a local farmer, said, we depend on irrigation to cultivate our boro-paddy and earn a living. Blocking the canal midway will force us to live in poverty and hunger.
The fish-farms have made some ruling party men wealthier, but it has reduced the majority of the locals to poverty, said Lal Mia, a local freedom fighter.
Abdul Huq, a minor farmer in the area, said he has 5 acres of land and boro cultivation on that land is almost damaged due to the water scarcity.
Local farmer Aiub Noor had the same story, and added that during the new and full moons, his farmland was engulfed by the regular tidal flow of the canal.
Shahid Mia, another local, said using poisonous fish-feeds for the fish farming has killed off the canal’s sweet water fish, crabs and scorpions, rotted the water, and has spread skin diseases among the residents.
We informed the upazila administration, but failed to have anything done about this situation, as those blocking the canal are influential ruling party activists, the distressed farmers said.
Hafizur Rahman, AL-backed Wazirpur UZ chairman said a decision was taken to pay every affected farmer Tk200 every day, but he is unsure whether the payments were being made or not.
Wazirpur Upazila Nirbahi Officer Sohrab Hossain said none were permitted to start a pisciculture project there by blocking the natural water flow. He will take action regarding this matter after carrying out an investigation.
Liton Molla said: “The idea behind the pisciculture project took root at a meeting held the previous year at United School with the locals, and none had opposed it. Now, however, after having invested Tk65 lakh some are going against us after seeing our probable profit margin.”