Around 3,000 acres of arable land in Sunamganj Kharchar haor has fallen barren as the planted paddy seeds are about to die from a shortage of irrigation water.
Farmers in the haor region have alleged that the problem stems from the local water management committee not having been paid their arrearage last year; and thus they did not supply water to the fields at the beginning of Boro season this year.
Moniruzzaman—a local of Majumdari village in Polash union of Bishambharpur upazila—said usually a floating pontoon of the committee supplies water to the field; at the beginning of Poush, the ninth month of the Bangali calendar.
However, this year, they provided water at the end of Poush because of their dues had not been paid. As a result, the land remains uncultivated.
Akhil Biswas, a resident of Dharerpar village, said thousands of acres of land will not arable because of to the lack of irrigation.
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A large quantity of grass and small plants have grown in the meantime and there is just not enough time to clear the land and cultivate new crops.
Under the circumstances, farmers will not get a bumper harvest while the risk of premature flooding, that could damage the crops, looms.
Subodh Das, of Majhair village, said that last year, farmers paid Tk500 to irrigate a Keyar [30 decimal] of land. However, the water management committee has raised the amount to Tk600; creating more trouble for the farmers.
Kali Kumar Das of Janata Bazar said it is unacceptable that the committee cause so much harm to farmers just to obtain their dues.
Md Abdus Sobhan, UP member of Polash Union Ward 3, said farmers of 10 nearby villages—including Dharerpar, Adukhali, Piarinagar, Baggao, lalargaon, Majumdari, Gobindanagar, Pukurpar, Bajitpur and Majhair—are fearing tremendous losses due to the situation.
Ram kanai Das, of Dharerpar village, said the water committee has not informed anyone about last year’s dues. Usually the samity appoints its own men to collect the irrigation project fare; and farmers pay the full amount before receiving the service. The samity has put the harvest of the whole haor area at peril by providing irrigation late.
Another villager, Nishikanto Das, said the planted paddy seeds have turned dry and red, already, due to a lack of watering; and many lands remain uncultivated.
Recognizing last year’s payment-related issue, Md Abdul Quddus, member of Vadertek Kharchar haor Shabalambi Krishak Somobay Shech Scheme, said: “We have resumed the irrigation service and the matter will be resolved soon.”
However, farmers are not pleased with Quddus’s assurance.
Polash Union Parishad Chairman Abdul Kayum Master said farmers initially did not disclose the fact that irrigation has been stopped due to a lack of cash. As an effect, many lands will remain non-arable and farmers will ultimately have to pay the price.
Concurring with Abdul Kayum, Md Khaleduzzaman, assistant engineer of Bangladesh Agricultural Development Corporation (Irrigation) of Sunamganj, also said that no one informed them about the matter on time. If a formal complaint had been filed against the irrigation association then appropriate legal action would have been taken.
