400 acres land remain uncultivated
Around 400 acres of farmland in Moulvibazar's two upazilas remain uncultivated every year for lack of a sluice gate in the Lachgang river in Kawadighi Haor area.
Many farmers in different areas of Sadar and Rajnagar upazilas cannot brings their cropland under cultivation for not having proper irrigation facilities due to lack of a sluice gate.
Meanwhile, the Water Development Board (WDB) has started the feasibility study to set-up a sluice gate at Lachgang in order to increase the water holding capacity of the river during the dry season.
Rajan Ahmad, general secretary of Moulvibazar Haor Rakkha Sangram Committee, Sadar upazila unit, said a branch of the Manu river called Lachgang river flows through Boliyarbhag of Sadar upazila and falls into Kawadighi Haor.
Although, farmers in around 20 villages, including Barakapan, Rasulpur, Raipur, Burikona, Biraimabad, Khaisaura, Karamullahpur, Baneshree, Parashimil, Kandigaon have been cultivating thousands of acres of land, nearly 400 acres on the upstream of the haor remain uncultivated for long due to shortage of irrigation water during the dry season, he added.
Muhib Khan, Faruq Mia and some others of Rasulpur village said farmers of the area are deprived of getting at least 25,000 maunds of paddy every year.
In order to bring the uncultivated land under irrigation facilities, Moulvibazar Haor Rakkha Sangram Committee, other social welfare organizations and affected farmers have been demanding installation of a sluice gate at Boaliarkara in Rajnagar upazila for long.
Meanwhile, a three-member delegation led by Javed Iqbal, executive engineer at Moulvibazar WDB, conducted a ground visit to Boaliarkara area recently and verified the feasibility of setting up a sluice gate there.
Contacted, Javed Iqbal said a sluice gate or a rubber dam can be set-up on the upstream of Lachgang river to overcome the irrigation problem.
According to Moulvibazar WDB, it will cost at least Tk 6 to Tk 7 crore to install a sluice gate there.
Comments