A section of unscrupulous people in some Jhenaidah villages have occupied the irrigation water supply side canal of Bangladesh Water Development Board (BWDB) led water logging for last five months.
As a result at least 350 farmers of the area were deprived off crops for at least Taka 1.5 crore in current Transplanted Aman paddy season. The farmers in the area are also apprehending a loss for another Taka six crore in upcoming Kharip-2 season from the Boro and vegetables.
According to the farmers the BWDB authorities had dag side canals at Madla, Purba Madla, Jal;suka and Khulumbaria villages under Saikupa upazila in Jhenaidah to discharge the additional irrigation water as well as rain water form the villages. The water should be supplied to BWDB canals through some siphons via the side canals.
But, the locals alleged, some influential persons, who are also involved in party politics had occupied the side canals and turned them in to pond or made houses on the canals. It has been hampering the discharge of water from the fields.
During a visit at the villages an incumbent member of Hakimpur union parishad namely Sariful Islam, farmer Manik Sarker of Khulumbaria village, Ahmed Mollah of Madla village and Majibar Mandal said, those who had occupied the side canals were so influencial that nobody could open their lips before them.
When this correspondent visited the villages, the occupiers namely Bashi Member, Yar Ali Fakir, Oliar Rahman, Sekender Ali and others did not appear before the journalists as they were leading the illegal occupation of irrigation water side canal and either nursing fish culture, or made hoses on the canals for years together.
The farmers alleged, the situation was graved when the rian water started stagnant since early June this year. A section of dishonest employees of the BWDB including the concerned section officer were patronizing them, they said.
Some farmers said, as the farmers were deprived off the crop in the current Aman season, the poor farmers started selling their daily labour to other areas at a lower rate to meet the daily food demand for the families. Many of them started giving lease of their lands to well to do people due to loss in the season, they added.
House wife Jharna Khatun, 45, wife of Madla informed, as the water cpuld be removed completely from her house premises, the family members were affected by many skin diseases and other intestinal complications as they were living in wet lands for past couple of months there.
When contacted, the chairman of Hakimpur union parishad Shikder Qamruzzaman Jiku said, they were looking in to the matter.
Upazila agriculture officer of the department of agriculture extension in Sailkupa BK Halder when contacted said, they were informed the matter, while they were helpless as the matter was meant for the BWDB authorities. The matter was discussed in the monthly meeting of the upazila parishad time and again that could not produce any effective results, UAO said.
Talking to the sub divisional engineer of Ganges Kobadak Project under the BWDB in Jhenaidah Kanak Kumar Biswas said, the grabbers were so much influential. The BWDB will file cases against the illegal occupiers in near future. A few of the occupiers were already sued, the SDE said.
