SABBIR MIRZA FROM TARASH:

After completion of Boro harvesting, farmers of greater Chalan Beel region including Tarash upazila of Sirajganj district are facing trouble over cultivation of AUS and Aman paddy due to ongoing drought situation.

Due to lack of water, vast tract of land in greater Chalan Beel area has now turned into pasture. Farmers in the region are apprehending that, they will face hardship, if the drought situation is linger.

Many of the farmers expressed their dissatisfactory saying that, they don’t have capacity to irrigate their lands by setting up pumps. They are in fear that, if the situation is lingered, they will not able to cultivate their land in time. It may hamper production compared to the other periods.

Local Agriculture Extension Department sources said, AED has fixed a target of cultivating Ropa AUS on 3,475 hectares of land and Bona Aman on 2,750 hectares of land this year. But, the target will be fulfilled or not, it has now raised question watching the symptom of rains.

Met office sources said, a heat-wave has been sweeping the country for the last two months hampering farming activities. Due to lack of sufficient rains, farmers can’t process their lands even after completion of Boro harvesting. They are now waiting for rains. And even, they can’t process their seedbeds for want of water.

Though, the farmers in the area are in a dire straits situation over cultivation of AUS and Aman paddy, dairy farm owners are taking advantage getting free land for their cows. Vast tract of lands in the area has now turned into pasture land, in where cattle are being reared freely. Dairy farm owners are saving money instead of spending behind fodders.

Saidur Rahman, a farmer of Tarash area told The Daily Sky that, “We are facing trouble to produce seedbeds as well as we can’t plant seedlings for want of water. We are waiting for rains, but it has gone disappeared. As a result, our cultivation is becoming late.”

“Allah knows, what has in our fate” he added.