In Sirajgaj there is rush of cutting ponds on three crop fields

In Sirajganj, there is rush of cutting ponds on three crop fields to make more profit in fish farming. Among the 9 upazilas of the district, the most paddy is grown in Tarash. In this upazila, the amount of arable land is decreasing every year as a result of cutting the three-crop fertile land with excavators and digging ponds. It is feared that by the end of the year, the amount of cropland will decrease drastically.

A large amount of rice, wheat, khirai, cucumber, jute, brinjal, dal, garlic, green chillies, sugarcane and various other crops are produced in this district. Its surplus is sold elsewhere in the country. But soon there is a fear of food shortage in this food surplus district. It will affect the entire country.

According to upazila agriculture directorate sources, 2539 ponds have been dug from 2008 to 2023. In this decade and a half, the amount of arable land has decreased by 1920 hectares. Not only agricultural land is being destroyed, roads and highways are also getting damaged due to the movement of dumb trucks and tractors carrying soil.

Concerned officials have complained that the digging of ponds cannot be stopped even with jail and fine. If this situation continues, the production of rice in this region will decrease in the future. If it is not stopped soon, there will be danger of adverse effects on the environment including flooding.

Locals said that a person named Haji Babu is digging a pond in Banshbaria village of Naogaon Union of the upazila in violation of the government ban. Alamin of Byat village is digging a pond on lease of land. A man named Khoka is digging a large pond in the north field of Lalua Majhira village. Locals complain that such destruction of agricultural land is going on in the dark of night in most of the villages with the connivance of dishonest officials of the government office.

The work of digging a pond in the arable land is going on

Even though the operation is going on by the upazila administration, pond digging is going on by encroaching on river and Khas land along with agricultural land.

In this regard, Haji Babu and Alamin, who dug ponds in Banshbaria village, said that ponds are being dug in different places in Tarash for several years. So, they do too. They don't dig anymore when all are closed.

Tariqul Islam, Shajahan Ali and Akhtar Hossain of Kalidasnili village said that Haji Babu is digging a pond on 45 to 50 bigha of arable land in Banshbaria village. After the excavation of the pond, water will not be able to go down to the north and south fields. Then there will be flooding in the land.

According to the sources of the truck owners, the mud of each vehicle is being sold for Tk. 800-1000. Also, most of the vehicles are driven by underage drivers. They don't have any driving license or any valid driving documents.

A madrasha teacher named Zahurul Islam of the same union said, I had 10 khata of land. A field worker named Satchu of Kumar Gailjani village of Solanga police station has leased the land of 15 farmers for digging a pond. Finally I was forced to pay. Otherwise, my land would have been submerged in a corner of the pond.

Officer-in-Charge (OC) of Tarash police station Nazrul Islam said, 20 cases have been filed against landowners in the past one month for the crime of digging ponds in violation of land management regulations. Out of these eight cases were filed by the police as plaintiffs, 10 by Union Assistant Land Officer and two cases by ordinary farmers as plaintiffs.

On Monday (February 26) morning, Tarash Upazila Assistant Commissioner (Land) and Acting Upazila Nirbahi Officer Khalid Hasan said that an immediate operation is being carried out as soon as the information about the digging of the pond is received. So far, several people have been jailed and fined in mobile courts.

On January 1, a person was fined Tk. 5 lakh and jailed for 3 months for the crime of cutting and digging a pond in a vast field of arable land in Kharkharia village of Saguna Union.

Sumon Molla and Saddam Hossain have been jailed for one month for digging a pond in Byat village of Naogaon Union. A man named Shajahan was jailed for six months for digging a pond in Poushar village.

Upazila Agriculture Officer Abdullah Al Mamun said, in the vast crop field of Tarash, different varieties of rice and rapeseed are cultivated with three crops a year. Still farmers cut their land and dig ponds. Basically a circle of middlemen are encouraging farmers to dig ponds with all the responsibility.

Sirajganj Agriculture Extension Directorate (Deputy Director) Bablu Kumar Sutradhar said that there are very few areas in the country that have fertile and three to four crop lands like this district. That's why Sirajganj district is known as "grain store". It will not be possible to maintain that reputation in the future. In a decade and a half, 1,920 hectares of arable land has decreased.

He said with anger, why people do not want to understand that if the arable land decreases, their lives will be in danger!