Farmers facing uncertain survival at Kaliganj

KALIGANJ, GAZIPUR, May 17: Untimely tide submerges one-third Boro paddy fields at Kaliganj Upazila of the district in recent times.
Cry of the affected Boro farmers in Kaliganj Upazila of the district is going on. Though they were making smile firstly seeing their brightly yielded Boro fields, now they are crying.
Standing crop-plants in the Belai Beel that is called the crop store of the district, have been submerged under the tidal water. The farmers are in fear of total devastation to their yearly main crop.
While talking with the Daily Observer correspondent, a good number of Boro farmers in different unions of the upazila came up with their survival uncertainties in the coming days. They complained of irrecoverable crop damages.
"I have lost all my crops�now I will have to die together with my family," said aged farmer Md Azam Ali, over 70, of Belai Beel Parh area in Kaliganj Upazila. He had farmed Boro on three bighas of land in Belai Beel. But his fields have been completely submerged due to sudden tide. Azam Ali said, he never saw such tidal submergence in his life-time.
Another inhabitant of the same beel area under Boktarpur Union farmer Mosharraf Hossain Akanda said, "My fields are almost in the middle of the beel. I had cultivated three bighas, yield was good too. Beel water level grew up abnormally due to continuous rainfall in two days.  Amid rapid tide rush, it became impossible to cut the paddy quickly."
The same problem is prevailing everywhere, and that is why it has also been difficult to get agriculture labourers, he added.
"I have cut only half a bigha and the rest fields are under water", he further said, adding, "Now I do not know how my family will survive".
He was echoed by another farmer Md Siraj Molla who cultivated Boro on about one bigha land. His field is under water. He could not cut his paddy plants because of labourer crisis.
Labourers are coming from different parts of the country. They are being hired by local farmers. Their wages are so high that  small farmers can't afford them.
In Belai Beel and surrounding areas, the labourers are cutting fields on contract basis. In this situation, most farmers have given up their hope of submerged paddy harvesting.
A young farmer Md Sohel Mia said, "All croplands in Belai Beel are under water. The beel gets sunken after even a little rainfall or tide. Every year in the past rainy water appears timely, but it has been a difference this year. The tide appeared suddenly before cutting preparation. We are counting extra losses."
Boro paddy was cultivated across the Belai Beel. It is a one-cropping water body and also called the crop store of the district. Local paddy and vegetables demands are met from the beel in Gazipur and other neighbouring districts. A canal has flowed through the beel. The canal water is irrigated in crop fields in the dry season.
According to field sources, one-third of crops of the beel have been submerged.
A visit found surging rush of inflow of tide water in the canal. Only few days back, the canal was a dried one. Now it has turned tumultuous with brimming water.
Now farmers are rounding in the beel with boats to collect green and half-ripe paddy plants from different points of the beel. These are being made fodder.  
Kaliganj Upazila Agriculture Officer Farzana Taslim said, "We have sent a field-level damage report to the authorities concerned. But as it is the problem of the entire country, its approval might take a little time. But there is a possibility that the victim farmers will get some assistance".