NATORE, Jan 21: Some local Influentials of Gurudaspur Upazila of the district have been digging ponds for long at Harivanga and Durgapur beels (water body) in the upazila.
As a result, it caused extensive damage to the crops and created water logging in the beels, leaving farmers to face huge loss in their agricultural production.
In this connection, the local farmers organised a human chain on a road adjacent to rubber dam under Biaghat Union Parishad in the upazila on Saturday and demanded immediate stoppage of the digging.
In the programme, the speakers said around 200 ponds were dug in the last two years at Harivanga and Durgapur beel areas. Some influential quarters of the area dug those ponds there managing the administration. For this reason, water cannot move from the agricultural lands.
Written complain has been submitted to the local administration seeking necessary action but there was no result. On the other hand, this ill practice of the dishonest people has begun again as the water has now started to move from the beel.
Habibur Rahaman, a farmer of Durgapur Village said, "I have 22 bighas of land in the Durgapur beel but now the total land is under water due to unplanned digging of pond around my cropland. I could not cultivate Rabi crops for the last two years. Now the cultivation of IRRI-BORO paddy has become impossible in this situation."
The same complaint has been given by the farmers Masud Ali, Abul Kalam Azad, Shafiqul Islam and Boyez Uddin of the village.
Gurudaspur Upazila Agriculture Officer Abdul Karim said, "There are 457 hectares of agriculture land at the Harivanga beel and 193 ha at Durgapur beel. Rabi crops could not be cultivated in those lands while the cultivation of other crops is being hampered due to water logging."
He further said the matter was raised in the monthly coordinating meeting of the upazila on Thursday. The local law maker Abdul Quddus, government officials and other public representatives were present in the meeting. The meeting adopted resolution that none can dig any pond further in the beel area in future.
Acting UNO and Assistant Commissioner (Land) Gonopati Roy said necessary action will be taken against those who dug ponds on the croplands.
Acting Deputy Commissioner Moniruzzaman Bhuiyan said necessary order has been given to the Gurudaspur UNO and to AC (Land) to look after the matter.
The matter will be investigated properly, he added.
