15,000 hectares of agri-land remain under water

CUMILLA, Dec 14: At least 15,000 hectares of agricultural land in six upazilas in the southern part of Cumilla district remain waterlogged at different times of a year.

Those upazilas are: Monohargonj, Laksam, Nangalkot, Chauddagram, Lalmai and Barura. However, prolem in Monohargonj, Laksam and Nangalkot upazilas has become acute. It has been seen in different places in these upazilas during the time of planting Boro paddy, agricultural are waterlogged

According to local sources, almost all the canals and Dakatia river have been occupied in this area. Somewhere rivers, canals, ponds and open water bodies have been occupied and fish ponds, houses and shops have been built there

. Again somewhere the canal has been filled and converted into farm land. Due to these reasons, the flow of water in rivers and canals has been disrupted and water cannot move quickly from the agricultural land even after the monsoon. As a result, most of the lands in these areas are not cultivated in Aman and Aush seasons except Boro season.

Visiting Monohargonj upazila of the district, it was seen that many agricultural lands are still waterlogged. Farmers are making floating Boro paddy seedbeds.. However, many people are not able to prepare the land for planting seeds as water is not removed from the land. Most of the canals in this upazila are now illegally occupied. Several canals have been filled.

Visiting Khajuria village of Nangalkot upazila of the district, it was seen that influential people of the area were cultivating fish in the old Dakatia river with a dam at the mouth of a canal used for drainage of water in at least twenty villages. The place where the dam was built is the junction of the old Dakatiya river and the tributary canal Gazaria.

The construction of dams at the mouth of the canal has caused severe waterlogging in hundreds of hectares of agricultural land in those twenty villages. As a result, the farmers of the area are not able to make the seedbed of Boro paddy in time.

Visiting Uttarada union of Laksam upazila of the district, it has been seen that various places of Nalua canal have been occupied there. As a result, the farmers of at least ten villages including Manpal and Thengarpar on both sides of the canal have fallen into disarray. At least 500 hectares of agricultural land in these areas are waterlogged.

Monohargonj Upazila Deputy Assistant Agriculture Officer Mostafa Kamal said, "Our total cultivable agricultural land is 10,540 hectares. Of this, Boro paddy is cultivated on 10,200 hectares of land.

Laksam Upazila Deputy Assistant Agriculture Officer Jewel Ul Alam said, "Our total cultivable l land is 9,445 hectares." Of this, boro paddy is cultivated on 8,600 hectares of land. And in the Aman season about five thousand hectares of land are planted. Other lands remain fallow during the Aman season ue to waterlogging.

Nangalkot Upazila Agriculture Officer Zahidul Hasan said the total cultivable agricultural land in the upazila is 16,148 hectares. Of these, boro is planted on about 12,600 hectares, Aman on 13,250 hectares and Aus on 9,900 hectares. These lands remain waterlogged except in Boro season.

Besides, waterlogging occurs at about 800 hectares in Lalmai, 200 hectares in Chauddagram and in different places of Barura upazila at different times of the year.

Ali Akbar, a farmer from Monohargonj, said it was too late to recede water from the land due to occupation of rivers and canals. This is disrupting cultivation. There is still waterlogging in many lands.

Asked about this, Deputy Director of the District Agricultural Extension Department Surjit Chandra Dutta said waterlogging is highly noticeable in Monohargonj, Laksam and Nangalkot upazilas of the district. In order to avoid this problem, other rivers and canals including Dakatiya have to be dug up and illegal occupation has to be addressed. Necessary steps will be taken in this regard soon.

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