RAJSHAHI, Feb 27: More than 200 people of villages Khaira, Berabari and Matikata under Mougachhi union of Mohanpur upazila formed a human chain in protest against digging hundreds of ponds in cropland by clogging water extraction channels.
The organisers of the human chain informed, by violating the government rule, many unplanned ponds are being dug in various villages of Mougacchi union. Being encouraged by a section of political leaders and by managing administration, some influential people were turning valuable crop fields into ponds.
It is learnt, already several hundreds of ponds have been dug in 400 hectares of land in various unions of the upazila and digging of more new ponds was continuing. While digging those ponds, no attention is being given to keep channel for water extraction. Even after complaining to the concerned authorities several times against the unplanned digging of the ponds, no action was taken by the administration in this connection. The people of the villages opined, arresting of scores of drivers of the dredgers used for digging ponds would stop such activities.
Ashraful Islam, Abbas Ali and Abdul Matin of Khaira village informed, they have submitted a memorandum containing signatures of more than 300 farmers of three villages to the UNO of Mohanpur demanding stoppage of digging pond in crop land. On Monday morning, more than 200 farmers of village Khaira, Berabari and Matikata carrying banners formed a human chain at Khaira crossing beside the Rajshahi-Naogaon Highway demanding stoppage of illegal digging of pond in crop field.
Farmers Abdul Hakim (65), Rawshan Ali (70) and Abdul Aziz (55) in the human chain said a vested quarter were digging ponds one after another in the crop fields in an unplanned way which was destroying the valuable yearly three-crop patterned land at the same time creating waterlogging in the land beside those ponds because of absence of water extraction channels. They complained, large land owners were leasing their land to the pond diggers without considering the interest of small land owners beside. As a result, an anger was fomenting among those small land owners. Some of them small land owners were also being forced to sell or lease their fragment of land to those pond diggers against their will.
Local farmers lamented, during last monsoon, most of the local rivers, water bodies and canals over flooded but due to excavation of unplanned ponds, crops and vegetables including rice, jute, betel leaf, chilli, and vegetables went under water because of logging and closure of extraction channels. The farmers of the upazila incurred a loss of several crore of taka during that time. Again, during the dry season, farmers were failing to cultivate the land situated on raised ground for want of water.
Habal Ali (70) of Khaira village complained, in violation of government rule, a section of dishonest people were excavating ponds on cropland by closing water extraction channels which was destroying crop production capacity of the surrounding land and squeezing the cropland for which men will suffer from food shortage in future. He warned a bleak future for farmers of the region if excavation of such illegal ponds continues further.
The human chain was addressed, among others, by farmers Abbas Ali, Babul Hossain Russel, Rubel Hossain, Abdul Karim, Shakhawat Hossain and Abdul Aziz.
Rahima Khatun, UNO in Mohanpur, said already she has informed higher authorities to stop illegal excavation of ponds in the upazila.
Mirja Imam Uddin, Upazila Nirbahi Officer of Mohanpur in this connection said, action will be taken against illegal pond diggers in the upazila.
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