SATKHIRA, Apr 17: Due to climate change, the salt level of 25 dS/m (decisiemens per metre) has been found in agricultural land in coastal area in the district.
The presence of salt in groundwater is even much alarming in Satkhira, making scientific officials of Bangladesh Rice Research Institute (BARI) worrying.
This Boro Season, a large number of Boro farmers in the coastal area have been affected due to high level of salt in their lands, fearing Boro yielding disruption.
Md Fajr Ali, a Boro farmer of Kamargati Village in Kaliganj Upazila, said, he has cultivated Boro on ten bighas of land. But due to excessive salt in the land, his desired production of Boro paddy will be affected. So far, 20 to 30 per cent of the Boro fields have dried up due to salt.
Farmer Amal Kumar in the same upazila said, he cultivated Boro on eight bighas of land. But due to excessive salty water, his yielding has not been good. His farming cost stands at Tk 1.20 lakh. He is also sceptical about whether his Boro yielding would cover half of the cost.
Dr Md Sajjadur Rahman, Chief Scientific Officer of the Satkhira Regional Office-BARI, said, the excessive salt has appeared in most agricultural lands in the coastal areas.
Salt has been found in the Boro fields in Khajabaria area of Kaliganj Upazila, with a maximum of 25 dS/m. Moreover, the presence of salt in the groundwater is even higher, he added.
Productions of most of the Boro fields in the demonstration fields of the BARI project are being hampered.
Farmers are being advised to cultivate salt-tolerant paddy varieties of the BARI, such as BARI- 67, 99, 63 and 108.
Numerous Boro fields in coastal Kaliganj, Debhata, Asashuni and Shyamnagar upazilas are affected by the excessive salt.
Sardar Shariful Islam, Assistant Director of Bangladesh Environment Department-Satkhira, said, along with rapid climate change and decreasing in the flow of fresh water from the upstream, salinity is increasing in the land of the south-western districts.
The impact of which is most, affecting the agriculture in the Satkhira region. If salinity gradually increases, there will be a serious disaster in the Satkhira region within the next five years, he added.
There is no alternative to planting more trees, digging ponds and water bodies to save croplands from brackish water, the official maintained.
Samsun Nahar, Senior Scientific Officer of the Soil Resources Development Institute-Regional Office- Satkhira, said, salt does not remain in the same pattern in the land or water; sometimes, it is more and sometimes is less: presence of salt in the land decreases in the rainy season and increases in the dry season.
According to available statistics, the presence of salt in the land of the coastal area has been double in 2025. In Kaliganj Upazila, the presence of salt in 2022 was 4.1 dS/m. In the latest survey-2025, the presence of salt was found at 10.9 dS/m. But, the salt survey report of the land or water conducted by the BARI is very alarming, with 25 d/Sm: it is fatally harmful to any crop.
Md Saiful Islam, Deputy Director of the DAE (Department of Agricultural Extension)-Satkhira, said, the excessive salt is found in the agricultural land of the coastal area as well as in the groundwater. Yet, farmers in these areas are being advised to conserve rainwater and cultivate Boro.
In addition to opening government canals within beels, the DAE recommended digging more ponds and raising new water bodies at the district monthly meeting held recently.
