AMTALI, BARGUNA, Feb 20: The re-excavation of the Jinbunia Canal in Gazipur Village under Atharagachia Union of Amtali Upazila was officially inaugurated on Sunday, bringing renewed hope to around 3,000 local farmers who had long struggled with water shortages.
Amtali Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO) Mohammad Zafar Arif Chowdhury inaugurated the canal excavation work at around 11 am. The initiative has been undertaken by the irrigation division of the Bangladesh Agricultural Development Corporation (BADC), Barguna.
According to officials and local sources, the Jinbunia canal had remained clogged with silt for years, severely restricting water flow. As a result, nearly 3,000 farmers in the area were unable to cultivate boro paddy and other Rabi crops during the dry season due to a lack of irrigation water.
In response to repeated appeals from local farmers, the BADC irrigation division in Barguna took up the canal re-excavation project under the Smallholder Agricultural Competitiveness Project (SACP). The project involves re-excavating approximately 2 kilometres of the canal at a cost of Tk 33.78 lakh.
The inauguration programme was held with Amtali Assistant Commissioner (Land) Md Ashraful Islam in the chair. Among others, BADC Barguna Assistant Engineer Md Yakub Ali and Sub-Assistant Engineer Syed Mohaiminul Islam addressed the event as special guests. More than a hundred farmers and local residents attended the programme.
Local farmer Md Jasim Duari said, they had been unable to cultivate hundreds of acres of land during the dry season due to water scarcity.
"With the re-excavation of the canal, we will now be able to irrigate our fields and cultivate various crops throughout the year," he said, expressing optimism that farmers across the area would benefit significantly.
Officials said the project is expected to improve irrigation facilities, increase crop production, and enhance the livelihoods of thousands of farming families in the region.
