Home ›› 06 Nov 2022 ›› Nation
Sluice gates built in an unplanned way in different areas of Sylhet are leaving a vast amount of land uncultivated in the region.
Local people alleged that instead of benefitting the farmers, the sluice gates have become a source of misfortune for them, disrupting natural flow of water.
Many affected farmers have lodged complaints to the Water Development Board (WDB) to remove the sluice gates from their areas, but in vain.
In many areas two or more than two sluice gates have been built in just one kilometre area, they said.
Around 15,000-20,000 hectares of land is permanently barren in Sylhet division while 1,40,000 hectares of land is under seasonal cultivation, according to Moti Lal, a senior officer of Sylhet divisional Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE) office.
Mosharaf Hussain Khan, deputy director of Sylhet DAE, said, “The unplanned sluice gates are hampering our agricultural output. Last year, paddy was cultivated on 83,000 hectares of land during the Boro season, but this year, farmers cultivated paddies on 79,000 hectares of land.”
Not only Boro paddies, but the unplanned sluice gates are hampering cultivation of different other agricultural products also, he added.
In Charkai union under the Beanibazar upazila, three sluice gates have been built over the Korosuti canal and Foud beel, in a stretch of just one kilometre area. As a result, huge amount of common water hyacinths and weeds accumulate on the field, ultimately hampering the Boro cultivation severely. During the rainy season the common water hyacinths cannot pass through the canal as the sluice gates obstruct them.
Shanoor Ahmed, owner of a vast area of Boro land in Charaboi village under Charkai union, told The Business Post, “Before these sluice gates were built, we could cultivate paddies during Boro season in Foud beel. But now we cannot cultivate Boro paddies due to the water hyacinths and weeds.”
According to him, many farmers from Charaboi, Goruwa, Balingha villages in the union cannot cultivate paddy during the Boro season for the last 10-12 years due to the water hyacinths and weeds, although their livelihoods are fully dependent on Boro cultivation.
Three years ago, the affected villagers submitted a written complaint to WDB to remove the sluice gates, but initiative has been taken yet regarding the issue.
Mahmud Ali, former chairman of Charkai union, said, “Building the unplanned sluice gates are not only waste of public money, but these are hampering our agriculture also.”
Asked about the unplanned sluice gates at Foud beel, Beanibazar Upazila Nirbahi Officer Asikur Rahman said, “We are looking into the matter.”
Asif Ahmed, executive engineer of Sylhet WDB, “We never built any sluice gate in the beel area, but we received application to remove the sluice gates from many areas of Beanibazar.”
“After proper assessment, we shall take action accordingly,” he added.
