Kurigram Correspondent :
Poisonous gas of a brick field has been damaging over one hundred acres of Boro paddy field at Paromali village under Bhogdanga union of Sadar upazila of Kurigram district.
Over 50 farmers including lease-farmers are being frustrated due to loss. Farmer and agriculture official sources said the black poisonous smoke of Mrs. Chawdhury and Bricks, a coal-run brick field at Paromali village, was being out at recently.
The smoke was flowing to the west-south pole from the brick field. Over one hundred acres of paddy field, bamboo clusters and various types of tree were burnt. Next day farmers observed the burnt paddy field and informed to local agriculture department.
The Deputy Commissioner, Sadar upazila chairman, Sadar upazila nirbahi officer and the Upazila Agriculture Officer visited the spot on the day and observed the burnt paddy fields.
During a field visit, victim farmer Majedul Islam, 35, said, the brick field owner burnt our paddy field carelessly. He could pass the poisonous gas slowly through gas cylinder (pipe), but he does not it. Semi ripe paddies of Brri-28 variety were burnt around 30 percent while raw paddies of Brri-29 variety were burnt around 70 percent of the total damaged field.” Ultra-poor victim Achhiran Begam, 28, said, “I have taken lease 20 decimals of land selling my cow and cultivated paddy on the land.
The paddy field was burnt by the gas.”Sadar Upazila Agriculture Officer Md. Manjur Rashid said,the brick field is a coal-run brick field.
More than one hundred acres of paddy field were burnt. More demurrage will be found day by day.” “We ordered the concerned Sub-Assistant Agriculture Officer (Block Supervisor) to prepare a list of victims. We created presser to the owner of the brick field for giving money for the demurrage,” Majnur said. Owner (In-charge) of the brick field Md. Mahfujar Rahman said, we have been trading of brick here for 12 years. We don’t know how the paddy burns by gas of brick field. But we have promised for giving demurrage money to the victim farmers.
