Rapid urbanisation and industrialization are taking place in Jessore's Chaugachha upazila, but all at the expense of fertile farming lands.
For the estimated 3.5 lakh residents of the Chaugachha, it's now a test of their resilience as they are confronted with a choice — to sell their land or continue farming.
While many have embraced the development, with urbanization and industrialization providing them with better living conditions and civic infrastructure like roads as well as jobs, thanks to new factories, others claim it comes at a heavy price — the farmlands.
Chaugachha, which has 11 wards, one municipality and 160 villages, is bordered by Maheshpur, Kotchandpur and Kaliganj upazilas in the north, Jessore Sadar and Kaliganj upazilas in the east, Sarsha and Jhikargachha upazilas and the eastern Indian state of West Bengal in the south and Maheshpur in the west.
According to the latest census of 2011, the total population of the upazila is a little over 2.31 lakh. However, unofficial estimates suggest that the population has now swelled to around 3.5 lakh, a whopping 1 lakh increase in almost a decade.
But with the increase in population, there has been a decrease in farmland. This is despite the government making it clear that cropland can't be destroyed for urbanisation and industrialisation.
According to the Upazila Agriculture and Statistics Office, the total land area in the upazila is 26,919 hectares. But Chaugachha's net cropland has reduced to nearly 600 hectares over the past 10 years — from 23,150 hectares in 2010 to 22,565 hectares in 2020.
New houses and factories are increasing by the day along the five main roads of the upazila — Chaugachha-Jessore, Jhikargachha, Kotchandpur, Maheshpur and Purapara roads. Some 20 brickfields now occupy croplands in the upazila, say, locals.
Many people have also questioned the rationale of 20 brick kilns in the upazila, pointing fingers at authorities for letting businessmen set up shops without adhering to rules.
However, when contacted, Rais Uddin, upazila agriculture officer, said the upazila's environment is very suitable for setting up businesses. "But at the same time, I agree that no one should destroy cropland for building establishments," he said.
