Rubber dam brings fortune to farmers at Puthia

RAJSHAHI, May 13: The construction of a rubber dam by Barind Multipurpose Development Authority (BMDA), in the Baronai River at Shilmaria union under Puthia upazila in Rajshahi district, has brought about radical change to the agriculture sector of
the region.
Therefore, the river's navigability has been brought back, and a vast area of cropland here has also been brought under irrigation. The dam is now facilitating irrigation using surface water instead of underground water as well as fish cultivation.
According to the sources concerned, the vast Barind tract is being turned into a waterless condition due to various natural and manmade catastrophes like Farakka Barrage, reduction of annual rainfall and climate change.
As a result, the issue of cropping depletion is gradually being surfaced.  In the adverse situation, rubber dam has been constructed for the best uses of river water for irrigation
purposes.
Following the construction of the rubber dam, now vast areas of croplands can be brought under irrigation in surrounding areas.
The retained water, using the rubber dam, can now easily be used for supplementary irrigation of Aman, wheat, pulse, oil seeds and vegetables cultivation along with pisciculture and duck farming.
It has also created employment opportunities for the day labourers and marginal farmers in agriculture, and living and livelihood condition of the farmers is improving gradually through crop and fish production.
While talking to The Daily Observer, Md Selim Reza, assistant engineer of BMDA, Puthia Zone, said that the 62-metre log rubber dam was constructed at the cost of Tk 14.30 crore on Baronai River this fiscal year 2015-16.
The river flows through Shilmaria union under the upazila and connects the Atari River. The water contains in Sayedpur, Bidhirpur canal, Fokinni River, Johakhali River, Hoza River, Mongolpara, Gorakhali canal and some other rivers round the year and farmers can easily use the retained water for the farming of various crops and they also can cultivate fish in the water bodies,
he added.
Krishna Charan Haldar, joint secretary of Fishing Shamabaya Samity of Sadhonpur village said "We can easily catch fish as water stays in water bodies round the year". Now they are leading a happy life as their earnings have increased by selling fish in the markets throughout the year, he added.