Mismanagement of canals and river branches in coastal Khulna region has magnified the sufferings of salinity-hit farmers, including obstructed irrigation, apart from dams in upstream India.
Irrigation aside, inhabitants in Koyra upazila said they have to spend a lot on drinking water daily.
The FE recently travelled there to see the current state of the local peasantry in the salinity-prone coastal district.
The most vulnerable Koyra is adjacent to the Sundarbans and the Bay of Bengal.
Despite having great potential for agriculture and cultivation, residents in the upazila are not able to prosper much for lack of suitable water.
Standing outside his watermelon field, farmer Kiron Mistri of Hatiardanga village under Amadi union said production has declined by 30-40 per cent in the past one decade for water crisis during peak season.
Nearby canals, linked to 'Ghashkhali' river, have lost normal navigation. Canals and river branches have not been dug for decades, he told the FE.
Kankan Mandol of Patnikhali village said Farakka barrage and other Indian dams have severely disrupted normal navigation of Rupsha, Pashur, Betna, Bhadra, Shibsa and Ghashkhali rivers during dry season.
For irrigation, the local peasantry mostly depends on canals that store water during rainy season, he said.
Mr Kankan said the leasing of those canals to big traders is an outrageous violation of their right over common water bodies.
Only Aman is produced depending on rain and floodwater. In case of no rain in time, Aman output often drops by 50 per cent.
"Watermelon of Koyra is famous all over Bangladesh, but production has gradually been declining amid scarcity of water," said Mujibur Rahman, another cultivator.
He said many parts of the nearby canal Hatiardanga canal, however, have been leased out to entrepreneurs who have strong affiliation with political high-ups.
Leaseholders store water in the interest of shrimp and other fish farming while they release water at a time when crops do not need any irrigation, added Mr Rahman.
What is more, most of the inhabitants spend Tk 700-1,000 per month on drinking water collection.
Md Naimur Rahman, asst upazila agriculture officer of Koyra, said all 42 canals of his upazila have been leased out.
The flustered farmers have urged the authorities to free the canals from the lease and dig additional canals for the benefit of the farming community.
Unless water drainage and irrigation is done, according to them, agricultural production in the area may be severely hampered.
Sheikh Fazlul Haque Moni, project director of the Climate Change Adaptation through Climate-smart Technology in Khulna Agricultural Region, said his team is working on some innovative technology in this area to raise productivity.
Work is ongoing to boost production by transferring agri-friendly technology to 32 upazilas of four districts in Khulna region, he told the FE.
Mr Moni said they are encouraging cultivation through drip irrigation by digging ponds in the agricultural land in the project area.
Through this project under the Department of Agriculture Extension in Hatiadanga, farmers are being introduced to the technology of cultivating high-value vegetables using poly-mulching.
Sunflower, corn and watermelon plantation also goes on.
But Mr Moni recognised that the government's decision on leasing out canals and river branches be reviewed immediately for boosting crop farming in the coastal regions like Koyra.
He suggested that all canals be opened to farmers and other communities in Khulna where rice is cultivated on only 0.21 million out of 0.47-million hectares of land.
Koyra upazila agriculture officer Asim Kumar Das said digging all canals and ensuring rightful share of water among fishermen and farmers could enable 1,704 hectares of land for cultivation there.
Koyra UNO Mominur Rahman said canals have been leased in compliance with government regulations, with lessees required to ensure that agricultural is not disrupted.
"I'll take necessary action against any lessee who fails to comply with this term and cancel his agreement if need be," he told the FE.
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