Our Correspondent
RAJSHAHI, Apr 21: Due to construction of some one hundred dams across the Narod river for pisciculture, cultivation of crops of several thousands of acres of land beside the river facing regular waterlogging and flood. At the same time the river which involves many historical events has almost filled up losing its flow and navigability due to massive siltation and encroachment.
Narod, which is a tributary of river Padma originated near Charghat of Rajshahi and by crisscrossing through Rajshahi and Natore districts it falls in Atrai river of Singra upazila. The river has a historical significance because poet Rabindranath Nath Tagore used to voyage through the river on boat regularly to reach his house in Patisar.
Local farmers complained, due to illegal grabbing of land of river Narod by local 'land-terrorists', the river has lost its normal flow of water and turned weary and dry. Several miles of the river from Joynagar-Tajpur point to Sardanagar village, those land-terrorists have occupied the river at various points and by making some one hundred enclosures and dams.
These enclosures are also causing severe water logging in the land beside the river. The recent rainfall also caused waterlogging in standing Boro crop and farmers having their land beside the river were apprehending a total damage of their crops if there was a moderate shower in coming days. Local farmers alleged, the recent rainfall caused soil erosion near Basharnagar, Bhulbaria and Dharmapur villages and was being accumulated in Chalan Beel area threatening inundation of crops and vegetables of several thousands of acres of land. Hundreds of poor farmers of the villages were seen to desperately check erosion by raising embankment on self-labour basis.
Farmers said due to making of fishing enclosures in Narod, entering of water on the land beside Chalan Beel by breaching embankment and by erosion of land has become a perennial problem. As a result, more than 0.1 million farmers whose croplands are situated surrounding the river were afraid of damage of their crops due to water logging and flash flood.
Idris Ali, owner of a fish enclosure in Joynagar village, said there were more than 100 such enclosures in the area.
Saiful Islam, president of Chalanbeel Biodiversity Preservation Committee, said excessive siltation, illegal embankment across the river, making of illegal fishing enclosures and unplanned construction of roads were poised to loss navigability of Narod river completely. He demanded to immediate removal of all illegal enclosures from the river and dredge the river to retain flow.
Sandeep Kumar Sarker, UNO of Singra, said he has asked local union council chairman and members to remove all obstacles from the Narod and already some of embankments raised inside the river have been removed and rests will also be removed soon.
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