8,000 acres fallow for 2 decades

Over 8000 acres of land remain virtually fallow throughout the year in Bolli, Labsha, Jhawdanga and Agardari unions due to the problem. These lands are flooded during the rainy season and the waters remain stagnant till the Bangla months of Chaitra and Baishakh, affecting over one lakh people, local people said while talking to this correspondent.

In most of the years, IRRI-Boro saplings transplanted in late winter are damaged by flood.

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This situation continues for about two decades as the outlets for floodwater have been clogged, they said.

The farmers carried banners and posters in the procession that was started from Shahid Abdur Razzak Park. The processionsts paraded the main streets of the town.

The rally was addressed by, among others, Advocate Nurul Alam, Shah Jahan Ali, Abdul Karim, Rafiqul Islam, Kazi Saidur Rahman and Subhas Sarkar.

The speakers said, 8000 acres of land in 20 beels including Rajnagar, Khelardangi, Khejurdangi, Bhatpara, Baladanga, Akhrakhola, Chupria, Mukundapur and Jhhowdanga remain fallow due to lack of any government step.

The Betna river has lost navigability due to deposit of silt and sluice gates at Rajnagar and Khejurdangi are inoperative for long.

They urged the government to take necessary steps to solve the problems.

Later they submitted a memorandum to the WDB Executive Engineer to press their seven-point demand.

The demands include renovation of Khelardangi sluice gate and construction of another at Boyarsing, construction of a 10- kilometer ring dam from Akhrakhola to Kalaroa on Betna river and re-excavation of the silted river.

Later the processionists went to the Deputy Commissioner's Office and handed over a memorandum to him to solve their problems. They also held a press conference at Satkhira Reporters Club.