Farmers of Jhenidah under the Ganges-Kobadak (GK) project area of the Bangladesh Water Development Board (BWDB) have been facing severe water crisis in the current transplanting season of Boro paddy. This may affect the yield, they say. The GK project authorities have failed to provide irrigation water for the farmers since January 15. The problem arose due to removal of heavy silt and failure of timely machinery maintenance work.

The BWDB authorities, however, said that the problem will be resolved within a few days. They claimed that they will be able to ensure the supply of irrigation water in all the canals under the GK project area.

A number of farmers in Harinakundu upazila in Jhenidah said they prepared seed beds for the second time by spending extra money, as the previous seed beds were badly damaged by dense fog and cold waves in January.  But the overmatured saplings died due to shortage of water and lack of timely transplantation.

The authorities could not ensure water till February 10. The right time for the transplantation of Bodo paddy is from mid January to mid February. Those who could manage water with the help of shallow deep tubewells transplanted the saplings on the plots, but most of the farmers had to wait for the irrigation water from the GK project.

According to sources in the Department of Agriculture Extension (DAE), Jhenidah, the department had set a target to bring 82,144 hectares under its command in Jhenidah Sadar, Kaliganj, Kotchandpur, Moheshpur, Shailakupa and Harinakundu upazilas in the current season. Of them, 3,710 hectares were fixed under the commanding area of the GK Project. When contacted, Kripanshu Sekhar Biswas, additional deputy director of the DAE in Jhenidah, said the suitable time for transplantation of Boro sapling is between mid January and mid February.

 “If the farmers cannot ensure the transplantation of saplings on time, they grow older and production is hampered. It also increases the production costs due to fertiliser, irrigation and weeding purposes. Natural calamities and diseases may also affect the Boro plots,” he added.

Project director Mohammad Maniruzzaman said that irrigation pumps have started functioning recently and each and every Boro plot under the GK commanding area will get irrigation water within a few days.