Boro farming under threat

The country's largest Ganges Kobadak (GK) Irrigation Project was operated at the end of January, a month after the Boro season began, but the pump failed again on February 14. Farmers are living in frustration as they are unable to start irrigation pumps. Due to lack of water in the GK canal, the canal is digging. As a result, cultivation of 1 lakh 97 thousand hectares of land in four districts is under threat.

It was known that two pumps out of three pumps in the GK Irrigation Project have been lying idle for a long time. Although the farmers were given irrigation facilities during the Boro season with a pump, this time the pump has also become useless. As a result, the GK authorities are unable to provide irrigation facilities to the farmers during the Boro season.

Meanwhile, farmers have to pay a lot extra to irrigate the land with the salo machine. Boro farmers will suffer losses due to the increase in diesel prices. Therefore, the farmers demand quick water supply in the GK canal.

Farmer Abzal Hossain of Bhadalia in Kushtia Sadar upazila said, "We have been cultivating paddy with GK canal’s water in the Boro season for a long time. This time we are suffering severe losses in paddy cultivation due to lack of water. It costs more to take water with salo machine."

Barkat Ali, a farmer of Alamdanga, said that the pump has been completely damaged this time as irrigation activities have been conducted with the old pump for a long time. So we are deprived of the irrigation facilities of GK. Due to the failure of the GK authorities, there is a fear that the target of Boro cultivation will not be achieved this time.

Aksed Ali, a farmer of Batoil area, said there is no water in the GK canal. The canal has dried up. We are struggling to cultivate Boro due to lack of water.

Mizanur Rahman, executive engineer of Bheramara Pump House, said the higher authorities have been informed about the failure of the pump. However, it is not possible to say exactly when we will be able to repair. Efforts are being made to repair the pump as soon as possible.

Meanwhile, the GK project once revolutionized agriculture in the southwestern part of the country, but the activities of the project have dip to one-eighth. The irrigation project is falling apart due to the loss of pumps and encroachment and pollution of the canals.

Rashidur Rahman, executive engineer of Kushtia Water Development Board, said the project started with the aim of irrigating 1.97 lakh hectares of land in four districts. In its golden age, 116,000 hectares were irrigated in 1983. At present, it is possible to irrigate 95 thousand 600 hectares of land under the project as a large part of the canals are occupied and two of the three pumps of the project are damaged. It was possible to irrigate a maximum of 15,000 hectares of land in the current Boro season.