UNB, Satkhira :
Nearly 500 households of three villages in Shyamnagar upazila of the district are facing actuate fresh water crisis after two canals of the area have been leased out to local influential people for fish cultivation.
The inhabitants of the three villages-Khutikata, Kachiharania and Katalbaria-under Kashimari Union Parishad used to depend on Shuta and Sangkranti canals, the only freshwater reservoirs in the areas, to meet their household and drinking water demand, locals said.
They also used to use the canal water in their agriculture, and fish in the canals to meet their household protein demand. But the two important canals were leased out in 2013.
The leaseholders are now cultivating shrimps in the two canals allowing salt water to enter into those, affecting the ecosystem and biodiversity of the area apart from triggering the fresh water crisis.
The two canals were the sources of drinking water for the villagers as their tube-well have long been pumping out saline water. “When there was sweet water in the canals, there was peace in the villages. Now we’re facing the scarcity of water after saline water entered the canals for shrimp farming,” said Shibani Mondal, an inhabitant Khutikata village who live on the bank of the Shuta Khal. She said villagers are facing drinking water crisis now and arable land is losing fertility gradually due the salinity intrusion.
The government re-excavated Shuta and Sangkranti canals in 2009. But local musclemen started fish framing in the canals after taking those on lease in 2013, destroying the sweet water sources.
Villager Nishikanta said when sweet water was stored in the 2-km long Shuta Canal, farmers used its water in agriculture. “Farmers once used to produce boro and aman paddies with that water. But they’re now strongly prevented from using the canal water after those were leased out,” he added.
Ratikanta Das, another villager, alleged that two local musclemen in association with some others are now farming fishes in the Shuta and Sangkranti canals.”Farmers aren’t allowed to use the canal waters. Leaseholders also impose restriction on the locals’ movement on the banks of the two canals,” he said.
Villagers alleged that they repeatedly urged the authorities concerned to cancel the leases of the canals, allow local people to use the canal water and impose a ban on taking saline water into the canals, but all the appeals fell into the deaf ears. Condemning the local administration’s decision to lease out the canals, general secretary of Bangladesh Paribesh Andolan (Bapa) Dr Abdul Matin said no canal could be leased out to an individual as it is a public property.
He said the government should immediately cancel the leases of two canals and allow people to use their water as the scarcity of freshwater is growing in the coastal region.Contacted, local MP SM Jaglul Hayder said he has no knowledge about the leasing out of the two canals and he will talk to the local administration to take necessary steps to cancel the leases.
Deputy Commissioner of Satkhira District Nazmur Hasan said necessary actions will be taken in this regard after probing it and the leases will be cancelled, if necessary.
Nearly 500 households of three villages in Shyamnagar upazila of the district are facing actuate fresh water crisis after two canals of the area have been leased out to local influential people for fish cultivation.
The inhabitants of the three villages-Khutikata, Kachiharania and Katalbaria-under Kashimari Union Parishad used to depend on Shuta and Sangkranti canals, the only freshwater reservoirs in the areas, to meet their household and drinking water demand, locals said.
They also used to use the canal water in their agriculture, and fish in the canals to meet their household protein demand. But the two important canals were leased out in 2013.
The leaseholders are now cultivating shrimps in the two canals allowing salt water to enter into those, affecting the ecosystem and biodiversity of the area apart from triggering the fresh water crisis.
The two canals were the sources of drinking water for the villagers as their tube-well have long been pumping out saline water. “When there was sweet water in the canals, there was peace in the villages. Now we’re facing the scarcity of water after saline water entered the canals for shrimp farming,” said Shibani Mondal, an inhabitant Khutikata village who live on the bank of the Shuta Khal. She said villagers are facing drinking water crisis now and arable land is losing fertility gradually due the salinity intrusion.
The government re-excavated Shuta and Sangkranti canals in 2009. But local musclemen started fish framing in the canals after taking those on lease in 2013, destroying the sweet water sources.
Villager Nishikanta said when sweet water was stored in the 2-km long Shuta Canal, farmers used its water in agriculture. “Farmers once used to produce boro and aman paddies with that water. But they’re now strongly prevented from using the canal water after those were leased out,” he added.
Ratikanta Das, another villager, alleged that two local musclemen in association with some others are now farming fishes in the Shuta and Sangkranti canals.”Farmers aren’t allowed to use the canal waters. Leaseholders also impose restriction on the locals’ movement on the banks of the two canals,” he said.
Villagers alleged that they repeatedly urged the authorities concerned to cancel the leases of the canals, allow local people to use the canal water and impose a ban on taking saline water into the canals, but all the appeals fell into the deaf ears. Condemning the local administration’s decision to lease out the canals, general secretary of Bangladesh Paribesh Andolan (Bapa) Dr Abdul Matin said no canal could be leased out to an individual as it is a public property.
He said the government should immediately cancel the leases of two canals and allow people to use their water as the scarcity of freshwater is growing in the coastal region.Contacted, local MP SM Jaglul Hayder said he has no knowledge about the leasing out of the two canals and he will talk to the local administration to take necessary steps to cancel the leases.
Deputy Commissioner of Satkhira District Nazmur Hasan said necessary actions will be taken in this regard after probing it and the leases will be cancelled, if necessary.
