Faruk Ahmed returns from Narail : Extensive damage to paddy cultivation, fish farming and vegetable production due to the impact of salt water on the fields of Bichali Union in Narail.
Former Narail District BNP advisor Syed Faruk Ashiq, Bichali Union BNP Vice President Kazi Hasrat, Bichali Union Parishad Ward No. 2 member Khandaker Moin Uddin, and farmers in the area, including Md. Mofidul Islam of Mirzapur village, Niamat Kazi, Obaidur, Kamal Munshi, Khushidar of Jukhali village, and other farmers, have complained that the production of paddy, freshwater fish and vegetables is decreasing due to the effect of salt water.
Former Narail District BNP advisor Syed Faruk Ashiq (Dada Bhai) said, for a long time, farmers in our Bichali Union area have been struggling with this problem and the Baildanga beel is a wide area of 25 to 30 kilometers long. Farmers in this beel have been earning their living by producing paddy and vegetables for the past few days, but the farmers are not able to earn their living, so they are living through financial crisis. I personally think that this needs to be resolved immediately. There are some gher owners, I will not talk about the Shailpur gher, but there are some gher owners in Ranaghat who are benefiting from raising saline water for their Bagda shrimp farming project and other salted fish farming, which President Kazi Hasrat Saheb said. But in the rest of the wide area, the crop lands are being destroyed and the white fish we cultivate and cultivate lumpfish are generally affected by these farmers and due to this loss, every farmer is sitting on the road today. Our slogan is, “If farmers survive, we will survive. If farmers are not surviving today, then how will we survive?” We are demanding an immediate remedy for this and we are demanding the intervention of the Narail Water Development Board. We have been saying repeatedly that they release water as per their convenience but when we need water, they do not release it. Keeping these things in mind, if salt water has to be introduced, then of course the Water Development Board will remedy it. We have to take steps so that we can cultivate paddy, produce vegetables, produce fish and so that it is not damaged. I have requested the Narail District Fisheries Officer to set up a fish sanctuary in the 25-kilometer area of the Beel to collect and preserve fish. Come to Sarozmin and create one or two fish sanctuaries in the canals. So that the fish are preserved and we get a lot of fish from the Beel in the future. That will save our country and the farmers, otherwise this town and this society will disappear. Today, farmers are facing many hardships and they earn their livelihood with great difficulty, but if they cannot take the crops home, I do not understand how they will manage their labor and money and their family. Through the latest media, the government and our BNP party have sympathy for the farmers. Since the government and the party have sympathy, then our government must provide all possible cooperation to save these farmers. So that these farmers can produce crops, cultivate fish, produce rice and can earn a healthy living. The junction is from Singe Switchgate to Khadela, Idia, Rukhali, Nalamara Bill, which will be a 25-30 kilometer area. This area is not able to cultivate rice due to salinity and the junction of five unions, which is now producing thick rice, is also being destroyed. If you go to the land and inspect, every farmer’s rice is not being produced in rice but in stubble. Then will the farmer survive, he will be a loser. He produces 50-100 maunds of rice a year, and sells it to support his family and children.
Kazi Hasrat, Vice President of Bishali Union No. 12, said that the main crop in this region is two-crop land, now it is rice, some unscrupulous owners of the fence and the guards of this switch gate have incited brackish water on it. To make more profit for them, they have incited brackish water by cultivating brackish fish in the southern region. Due to which the crop that is cultivated for the second time is severely damaged and the backbone of the farmers of this region has been broken. Now we want to get rid of this brackish water and get two crops equally, the farmers are appealing to the appropriate authorities to look into this.
Khandaker Moin Uddin, a member of Ward No. 2 of Bichali Union Parishad, said, “I think that due to the salt water coming through the gate of Ranaghat, our agricultural crops, paddy, jute and other agricultural crops, and the fish resources in our area, as you know, we have many large fish farms in this region. The farmers of our area are suffering greatly due to salt water. I appeal to the appropriate authorities to solve this problem very quickly. We have two switchgates for the Baildanga beel, one is in Singe Shailpur and Ranaghat, and the reason for this problem today is the negligence or lack of supervision of those who are in the Narail Development Board.”
Farmers in this region said that this problem is that when the paddy harvest starts and when the paddy harvest is over, then salt water is introduced. And this salt water gets trapped and due to the trapped salt water, the crops are being damaged. Salt water actually damages the fish, the crops are being damaged, after we harvest the rice, some miscreants throw salt water in the field. As a result, the paddy is damaged, the shrimp and white fish in the field are severely damaged and for this reason, all of us farmers hope for sweet water in the field.
The connection of Baildanga Beel in Narail Sadar Upazila with the Chitra River, extending from Sholpur to Khadolia, Idia, Rukhali Nala Mara Beel, is hampering the cultivation of all types of vegetables, mustard and rye crops, including rice, cucumber, tomato, and other crops. Due to the negligence and negligence of the supervisory staff of the Narail Water Development Board, due to non-distribution of water on time, crop cultivation has collapsed, especially farmers are not able to produce proper rice. We seek the attention of the appropriate authorities of Narail district so that they can make good arrangements to reduce the impact of saline water so that farmers can produce rice properly.
In this regard, Sheikh Mofidul Islam, a farmer from Mirzapur village, said that in many other villages including Mirzapur, Rukhali, Chakoi, Khalisakhali, Bashwari, Edia, Khadoria, Tarapur, Singasholpur, Arpara, farmers are facing crop damage due to brackish water in their fields and farmers are facing serious losses. Freshwater fish, rice and vegetables are being severely damaged.
Narail Sadar Upazila Agriculture Officer and agronomist Md. Rokonuzzaman said that crops are being severely damaged due to the effects of salt water. Especially due to the salt water flowing through the rivers of Khulna, Satkhira and Bagerhat. And the fields of Bichali Union will be inspected regarding the production of rice and crops.
Abhijit Kumar Saha, executive engineer of the Narail Water Development Board, said that the issue of saline water is being investigated by visiting the switch gate at Bichali Union on the spot.
Narail Sadar Upazila Executive Officer Sanchita Biswas said that they are investigating the cause of the disruption in crop production due to the impact of salt water in the fields of Bichali Union.
Narail Deputy Commissioner Sharmin Akhter Jahan has been informed about the extensive damage to crops and white fish due to the impact of brackish water in Bichali Union Parishad.
