Staff Reporter:

Agitating farmers of three unions in Tarash upazila of Sirajganj district on Sunday cut off a diversion road built beside the under construction Bhadas Bridge on Tarash-Katagari regional road to protect their croplands from water-logging.

Local Government Engineering Department (LGED) recently built the diversion road for vehicular movements centering construction of a bridge on Tarash-Katagari regional road in order to use it an alternative way.

This is why, vast tract of croplands in Deshigram, Talom and Madhainagor union of the upazila have been submerged with stagnated water caused by recent incessant rain. Crops of at least 35 fields in several villages of the unions along with seedbeds have gone under water. It has also damaged the crops as well as future of the farmers, they said.

Alam Hossain and Kawsar Hossain of Bhadas village told The Daily Sky that, “A bridge is being constructed near Bhadas Wapda Band area. Due to this, a diversion road has been built beside the construction site and two ring culverts were set up there for water flow. But, due to heavy rainfall of the last few days, the neighboring fields have been inundated with rainwater as the water can’t remove smoothly through the thin ring culverts that lead to water-logging. Finding no way, farmers cut off the diversion road to protect their croplands from waterlogging.”

On the other hand, due to cut off the diversion, road communication has been disrupted. Locals especially students and patients are facing problem, while going to educational institutions, hospitals and other places.

While contacted, no one of the LGED agreed to make any comment in this regard.

Nusrat Zahan, UNO of Tarash said, “I shall take necessary steps in this regard after knowing the details.”