Our Correspondent :
There is no rain in Shravan, cracks have appeared in the farm lands, and the farmers of Nilaphamari are counting the days in extreme misery. Aman paddy seedlings are still lying in the seedbed. Farmers are facing extreme problems in Aman cultivation due to lack of rain water. The same situation is in jute cultivation. Every year during the Shravan season, the farmers soak the Jute in the canal or pond. This time the farmers are not able to soak them due to lack of rain water. Teesta Irrigation is benefiting Dalia of Nilphamari, Jaldhaka, Nilphamari Sadar, Kishoreganj, Taraganj of Syedpur Rangpur, Badarganj, Gangachara and some parts of Chirirbandar of Dinajpur.
Meanwhile, farmers outside the command area of the Teesta Irrigation Project are not getting rain water and are planting Aman saplings relying on ground water with the help of irrigation pumps.
Besides, the farmers said that cracks have appeared in the soil as the planted Aman lands have dried up. According to the farmers, the amount of rain is much less this time. According to the rules, rice seedlings have to be planted in the land from the seedbed till August 15.
Farmers of Domar, Dimla, Jaldhaka, Kishoreganj, Sadar and Saidpur of the district are not able to cultivate the land due to lack of water. Many farmers are forced to use shallows and motors to irrigate the land and plant Aman saplings.
Akij Uddin, a jute farmer in Nilphamari Sadar upazila of the district, said, “we mainly cultivate jute for fuel jute chalk,” because the quality of jute in our area is not good.
Due to lack of rain even in the rainy season, the water of rivers and canals has dried up. Those who have relied on rain water to cultivate Aman land have suffered the most. They are not getting water anywhere. As a result, the paddy fields planted in advance are being destroyed due to lack of water. Farmers are fearful of crop failure and at the same time the production target of the agriculture department is likely to be disrupted.
Meanwhile, various suggestions are being given to the farmers at the field level on behalf of the agriculture department. The farmers said that the field level deputy assistant agricultural officers and agriculturists of the agriculture department are advising us to use irrigation machines as well as advising to soak jute through new technology.
