Farmers in Netrakona’s haor (wetland) area are yet to be able to sow their Boro paddy seeds for seedling transplantation due to a slow recession in water there.
They say if seeds are not sown and seedlings not transplanted at the right time, respectively in late November and late December, there is a risk of crop loss if floods occur in advance.
According to Water Development Board, Netrakona, parts of Madan, Mohangonj, Khaliajuri and Kalmakanda are mainly haor. Khalijuri alone accounts for 89 haors, out of 134, in the district.
Boro paddy is the only crop people in the haor area depend on for their year-long household, treatment, ritual and educational expenses.
All 271.84 km of dams (temporary) are now submerged in the district’s haor area. Of it, 181 km is in Khalijuri alone. These dams are used for protecting Boro paddy on about 50,000 hectares of land.
The District Water Development Board is tasked with surveying and repairing the dams whenever damaged by forming a committee in collaboration with the upazila administration.
However, this year, the Board could not get the survey work started, let alone the repairs, as water is receding slowly in the haor area.
Khaliajuri Upazila Agriculture Officer Md Habibur Rahman says the flow of water is being disrupted in absence of adequate sluice gates in various dams built in the haor area.
