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Monday | 13 January 2025 | Epaper

Water crisis halts jute retting at Santhia

Published : Tuesday, 30 July, 2024 at 12:00 AM  Count : 115
Jalal Uddin
SANTHIA, PABNA, July 29: Jute retting is being halted due to lack of water in ponds, canals, ditches in Santhia Upazila of the district.

The water crisis for jute retting has been critical due to long time drought and inadequate rainfall in the upazila. It was told by jute growers and official sources.

Now there is drying condition elsewhere. 

To overcome the disarray, many growers are making their jute retting on rental ponds. But they have to count extra fares for horse cart and trolley for taking their cut jute to distant areas including the Ichhamati River.

In the past year, canals, beels, ditches, ponds and other marshes would remain full of water. But this year it has been different.

A visit found cut jute plant piles along roads, canals and ditches in different areas of the upazila; jute plants are dying in fields while cut plants are drying.

A grower of Konabari Village Abdul Baten said, he has been facing disarray in retting his jute of six bighas of lands; there is not much water within one and a half and two kilometre (KM) areas; in a compelling condition, he is taking his jute by rented horse cart to the Ichhamati River that is two km away for retting; he is counting an extra rent cost of Tk 5,000 per bigha. 

Jute grower Abu Sayed of Hariakahon Village is also facing the same problem in retting jute of his three-bigha land.

He said, "Earlier, there would be chest and swimming-level water in jute fields. But this year it is a drying condition elsewhere."

According to jute growers, horse cart and trolley fare for taking jute to distant areas is Tk 2,300-2,700 per bigha; in addition, another Tk 2,800 is counted as wages of four labourers. In total, per bigha jute retting is about Tk 5,000-5,500.

This year's jute yielding was hampered. So per bigha jute production stands at Tk 7-8 maunds. At present, per maund jute fibre is selling at Tk 2,600-3,100.

According to sources at the Upazila Agriculture Office, this season jute was cultivated on 7,410 hectares (ha) of land against the target of 7,940, with the production target of 26,676 tonnes.
 
Grower Arif Hossain of Chaknandapur Village said, per bigha jute production costs including seed sowing, fertilizer, insecticide, cutting, retting, separating and drying stand at Tk 20,000-24,000. 

Upazila Agriculture Officer Sanjib Kumar Goswami said, the jute retting is facing a bit problem due to the long time drought and inadequate rainfall.

"At present, the water is appearing in some places. We hope the jute retting problem will be no longer," the official added.



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