Farmers are frustrated with the water crisis in the northern region, including Nilphamari, which is extensively hampering irrigation and cultivation.
This has happened as the main irrigation canal of the Teesta River is gradually drying up.
Sources said a target to irrigate 65,000 hectares of land in Rangpur, Dinajpur and Nilphamari in the current season was set, but the existing facilities could only supply water to 36,400 hectares.
This forced officials to lower the target to 28,500 hectares under six upazilas in Nilphamari in the current rabi season, but farmers are still struggling with getting adequate water supply.
As an alternative, farmers in the district have installed more than 1,000 diesel pumps to irrigate lands.
Ataur Rahman, a farmer and president of Teesta Bachao Rokkha Committee of Khalisha Chapani union in Dimla upazila, said the supply of water from the Teesta irrigation canal was very poor.
Aminur Rahman, president of S 1T irrigation canal, said 300 hectares of land out of 700 hectares in Jaldhaka upazila had been brought under irrigation facilities so far. “The scarcity has made farmers unable to irrigate lands in order to cultivate crops,” he said.
Rafiul Bari, project officer of Teesta barrage project, said: “There is not enough water in the water command area in the canal, where the irrigation water is supplied from, because of the dwindling flow of water from the Teesta River.”
