There is an allegation that, influential people with the help of some unscrupulous Water Development Board (WDB) employees have grabbed Ramsagar canal in Mohammadpur upazila of Magura.
400 years old Ramsagar canal flows through Mohammadpur upazila originating from river Modhumoti.
During dry season the canal plays a vital role in irrigating 10 thousand acre crop land in 5 beals of the upazila including Katlashur. At the same time the canal is too much convenient to free the 10 thousand acre crop land from water logging during rainy season. But due to grabbing the canal is now failing to do so.
Some influential persons have set up permanent installation in the canal. Consequently the canal has lost navigability. Though now it is rainy season the canal is failing to absorb water. Earlier water from 10 thousand acre crop land in 5 beals entered the canal being freed from water logging. On the other hand the water stored in the canal was used in irrigation of the land. But at present the land is facing water logging during rainy season while irrigation crisis during dry season hampering crop production badly. Moreover the canal is causing threat to ecology losing water flow.
Locals informed about the incident to WDB authority several times, but this wrong doing is going on for years. Requesting anonymity grabbers also informed, they are managing local politicians and WDB men in exchange of bribe.
Md Sadikur Rahman, Mohammapdur upazila nirbahi officer said, I have already informed WDB authority over the canal grabbing. If WDB authority seeks our help to take free the canal from grabbing we are ready to do so.
Magura WDB executive engineer ABM Khan Mujahadi admitted the incident of canal grabbing and told in the mean time we have noticed the grabbers. He added if grabbers do not respond to our notice we shall run drive with the help upazila administration within very short time.
Magura Department 0f Agriculture Extension (DAE) official Badrul Ahasan said, if grabbers are evicted from the canal 10 thousand acre crop land can be brought back to production.
