Sunday | 12 January 2025 | Reg No- 06
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Sunday | 12 January 2025 | Epaper

BMDA's new irrigation policy to keep half of Boro lands uncultivated 

Published : Monday, 30 December, 2024 at 12:00 AM  Count : 86
Our Correspondent
RAJSHAHI, Dec 29: The new irrigation policy of the Barind Multipurpose Development Association (BMDA) has created a baffling concern among Boro farmers as it will keep half of the Barind Boro land uncultivated.  

The BMDA authorities have made the new irrigation policy in order to protect the region from desertification as ground water layers are continuing to go down.

The groundwater layers have been so downing that even by digging 170 feet in 26 unions in eight upazilas of Rajshahi, Naogaon and Chapainawabganj districts, the water cannot be lifted.

In these areas, thousands of hand-run tube-wells became disorder one decade back.

This coming Boro season, the BMDA will not run one deep tube-well for more than 980 hours; this year, 1,960 deep tube-wells will operate in the Barind region.

Farmers said, according to the BMDA's new irrigation policy, the Boro farming will come down to half in Rajshahi, Chapainawabganj and Naogaon districts; in the remaining half Boro lands, other crops need to be cultivated.

Farmers came to know this decision of the BMDA in December, after getting first publicity leaflets.

The publicity paper said, this new irrigation policy will continue from February 15 to May 15. After this time, irrigation will no longer be made to Boro fields. 

A farmer of Koel Village in Tanore Upazila Solim Uddin Sardar said, "Thousands of hectares  of potato fields are irrigated. Due to monetary crisis, we could not cultivate potato. We will cultivate Boro. But the new irrigation policy has created uncertainty. Instead of potato fields, it should provide irrigation to Boro fields."  
   
When asked about the new irrigation policy, BMDA's Additional Chief Engineer Jahangir Alam Khan said, according to local and foreign researches, the groundwater layers are gradually downing in eight upazilas of the Barind region; even the region is heading towards desertification.
 
Taking into cognizance of the researches, the BMDA has declared Boro cultivation in half lands.

In this the region will be protected from the desertification, he added.   
  
It was learnt, there are 135 upazilas  in entire northern region under the BMDA; there are 15,965 deep tube-wells of the BMDA in 16 districts.

Of these, 1,980 deep tube-wells are in Rajshahi's Godagari and Tanore upazilas, Chapainawabganj's Nachol and Gomastapur, Chapainawabganj's Sadar, Naogaon's Niamatpur, Sapahar and Porsha upazilas.

Besides, about 56,000 shallow and deep tube-wells beyond the BMDA are lifting.

According to sources at the Department of Agriculture Extension (DAE)-Rajshahi Division, this year Boro farming has been targeted on 70,265 ha  in Rajshahi, 1.89 lakh ha in Naogaon, 51,150 ha in Chapainawabganj.

These farmers will not get the BMDA irrigation facility who will farm Boro beyond the BMDA scheme.

DAE's Deputy Director Ume Salma said, "We came to know about the matter. We have asked the BMDA for considering it."



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