Water hyacinths blanket Aman fields in Santhia beels

SANTHIA, PABNA, Oct 22: Aman paddy lands in Gerkar Beel (water body) in Santhia Upazila of the district have been filled with water hyacinths and other weeds.
Thousnds of acres of Aman fields in 13 moujas of the upazila have got blanketed with such weeds. Farmers are apprehending greater damage to their Aman crops.
Besides, stranded water in the beel can't recede because of water hyacinths. The next Rabi cultivation is likely to be hampered, local farmers said.
Victim farmers demanded removing these water hyacinths.
While talking with this correspondebnt of The Daily Observer, locals said, the Gerkar Beel is located in 13 villages including Ganghati, Madhabpur, Toilkupi, Raghunathpur, Ariadangi, Kazipur, Islampur, Chakbaysa, Kumirgari, Bamandanga and Padma Bilas at Santhia.
Farmers of at least 20 villages have farmed Aman on thousands of acres of land in that beel. Aman paddy is their only food source for the whole year.
Weeds including water hyacinths have submerged other beels including Gobragara, Dipergara, Bipchasing, Dublagara, Bilbaisa and Mollagara.  
Abdul Gafur of Bamandanga Village, Abdus Salam and Abdul Quader of Ganghati Village, Abdul Baten and Korban Ali of Charpara Village, Nayeb Ali of Islampur Village, Union Member Bachhu Khan and Abdul Jalikl of Madhabpur Village, Azam Ali and Dulal of Toilkupi Village and others of about 20 villages said, "We cultivate Aman every year, but we cann't bring in crops for the last six/seven years because of water hyacinths."
"We can't cultivate timely onion, garlic, grass pea, mustard, wheat and other Rabi crops in these beels," they added.
Victim farmers said, it takes them huge money and labour for removing water hyacinths which they cann't afford. So they demanded of the district administration and the authorities concerned for removing water hyacinths.
Santhia Upazila Agriculture Officer Sanjib Kumar Goswami said, there is no system of financing by the agriculture department for removing water hyacinths.  
"Union Parishands concerned might take necessary measures," he added.