Grabbing canals for fish cultivation

Farmers in Khulna's Batiaghata upazila are facing a crisis of sweet water for irrigating their agricultural land as most of the local canals have been grabbed by influential people.

Some people have turned the canals into ponds or ditches by setting up enclosures  for fish farming, while others have set up illegal structures on the banks of  all 25 big canals of the upazila. The situation deteriorates during winter when water of the canals dry up, making them vulnerable to encroachment.

The 4km long Hatbati and 6km long Daskatia canals play a  vital role in cultivation of seasonal vegetables as several hundred farmers of Hatbati, Hogolbunia, Pathoriaghata, Baroiabad, Hetalbunia, Dakkhin Sailmari and Khalashibunia villages irrigate their lands with sweet water of the waterbodies. But vested quarters have illegally set up over a hundred fish enclosures on the two canals.

Bidhan Biswas, a farmer of Hogolbunia village, told The Daily Star that over 1,200 farmers depend on Hatbati canal for water.

"But we are suffering from lack of water for irrigation as countless enclosures have been set up on the canal," he said.

"Our demands of freeing the canals from illegal occupation have repeatedly fallen to the deaf ears of the upazila nirbahai officer, upazila agriculture officer and local union parishad chairman," said Sukumar Bala of the same village.

In a recent visit, this correspondent saw one Krishna Biswas have occupied two-third of the Hatbati, Hetalbunia and Dashkatia canals and have built brick houses, tea stalls and cowsheds on their banks.

Locals said Krishna began encroaching the banks of the three joined canals 20 years  ago, and carried on ever since, without being challenged by local authorities. He built three houses at western part of the canals, and at the eastern part, he filled 15 decimals of land where he planted coconut and other plants. Krishna refused to comment on the allegations when approached by this correspondent.

Similarly, around 250 enclosures have been set up in the Batiaghata-Hatalbunia canal. As a result, these canals have lost their natural flow of water.

Pallob Biswas, chairman of Batiaghata Sadar union, said local farmers couldn't irrigate their agricultural land in time as most canals have been grabbed by influential people in the name of fish cultivation.

Identically, over a hundred grabbers have occupied the  Mohammad Nagar, Alutala and Ramdia canals of Jalma union.

Mozamal Hossain , a resident of Mohammad Nagar area, said at least 50 people including 15 developers have grabbed the Mohammad Nagar canal, blocking its natural flow

"Local administration as well as public representatives should come forward to evict the grabbers," he added.

Batiaghata UNO Sheikh Nurul Alam said, "If any one digs a pocket pond in government canals, we will conduct eviction drives on receiving complaints."

Md Mosaddek Hossain, additional deputy director (crop) of the Department of Agricultural Extension, said, "If these canals are freed from encroachment and created reservoirs, it will play a special role in the production of agricultural products."