A week later, the paddy is about to ripen in the haor of Sunamganj. The farmer has to be busy preparing for the harvest. But now their preoccupation is to save the crop.
Working day and night voluntarily. Yet it is uncertain whether the crop will survive. In this situation, three lakh 8 thousand 605 farming families of the district are worried. Biplob Chandra Som, deputy director of Sunamganj Agriculture Extension Department, said boro has been planted in 2,23,508 hectares of land in the district this time. Three and a half thousand hectares of boro paddy was submerged in Chapati Haor of Dirai Upazila on Thursday. So far, a total of 4,350 hectares of boro paddy has been submerged in the district. He said three lakh 8 thousand 605 families are involved in agriculture including 136 haors of the district. When the haor is damaged, they also face huge losses. Biplob Chandra Som said, “According to the information of our agriculture officers working in the field and what we have seen in different haors every day, only 136 haors in the district are at risk. Every crop protection dam is touching the water. ‘
Water Development Board Executive Engineer. Zahurul Islam said the Water Development Board has constructed, repaired and renovated 530 km embankment of Haor through 623 projects at a cost of Taka 121 crore in FY 2021-22. Temporary embankments have been severely damaged by the pressure of the mountain slopes for a week. Now the water is coming down very slowly. In this case, if it rains again upstream, there is a risk of a big disaster. Meanwhile, Deputy Minister for Water Resources AKM Enamul Haque Shamim has canceled the leave of all officials of Water Development Board (Paubo) in Sunamganj. He made the announcement in an exchange of views with the district water resources management committee, local people’s representatives, local leaders, beneficiaries, media representatives and officials.
On April 5, the Dubail Dam of PIC No. 75 of Dharmapasha Upazila of Water Development Board broke. Going there, it can be seen that Haor and Kangs rivers are now one and the same. The river Kangs has swelled under the pressure of Dhanu and Surma hills. This puts Chandrasona Thal, Dharam Haor and Haldia Haor in Mohanganj Upazila of Netrokona at risk of erosion. The Dubail dam broke and half-ripe boro paddy of 175 hectares of land in Dharmapasha was submerged. Haldia Haor in Netrokona on the other side of the river Kangs is still protected.
Pointing to the dam on the other side of the river, farmer Sujan Mia of Fenerbak village in Thal Haor of Chandrasona said, “Our haor is unprotected every year. But the dam on the other side of the river is completely safe. We die of tension year after year. Even after working in the voluntary shelter, I could not save it in the end. ‘Dharam Haor of Dharmapasha Upazila is next to Thal Haor of Chandrasona. Farmers have planted boro in about two thousand hectares of land in this haor. The farmers of this haor are now worried as the adjacent haor has sunk. They are spending sleepless nights in the haor and dam.
Deen Islam, a farmer from Rajapur village, said, ‘Dubail dam will be broken. We can’t cultivate paddy. Paddy will go under water. Now the farmers are cutting the raw paddy of Dharam Haor out of fear. Farmers are not getting confidence in the dam that is being built to stop water on paved roads.
Village farmer said. Swapan said, ‘All the crops of Thal Haor of Dam Bhainga Chandrasona have been ruined. Now I am cutting raw paddy for fear of water. This time we will come to starve. ‘Cracks have also appeared in the crop protection dam of the haor adjacent to Mannanghat Bazar. Farmers have come down in groups to protect the dam. This is how the farmers are working on the dams in the voluntary shelter to protect the dams that are at risk by increasing the water level of all the rivers in Sunamganj.
Thousands of farmers are working voluntarily to protect crops numbered 90, 91 and 92 of Shayar Haor in Shalla Upazila. They are flying at night with shovels and sacks. Work has begun on another shady dam next to the high-risk project. Hundreds of farmers are working.
Jarulia ferry dam of Dirai upazila has broken and water has entered the haor. Thousands of farmers from several nearby villages are working to protect the dam with bamboo, sacks, flyers and spades.
Professor Chittaranjan Talukder, member secretary of the Haor Agriculture and Farmers Protection Struggle Council, said the temporary dams in each haor are now at risk. There are irregularities in the process of construction of dams and approval of projects. Unscientifically, projects have been taken everywhere without considering the environment of the haor. These have now become harmful to the haor.
Apu Ranjan Sarkar, a farmer from Mohankhalli village in Shalla upazila, said, “The shadow haor is very big. This haor is spread over the surrounding Itna, Mithamin and Khaliajuri areas. Hundreds of farmers in the area have been volunteering for the 90th project for two days now. Multiple holes have been created under the dam. The water is leaking. ‘
Deputy Commissioner. Jahangir Hossain said, ‘All the dams in our haor are now in danger due to the hill slope. We urge everyone, including the local administration, to work diligently to protect the dam. Ordinary farmers in the villages are voluntarily working on the risky dams. We are collaborating with them with bamboo, sacks and geo bags. If we can get rid of these few days, I hope we will be able to harvest the haor. ‘
