<i>3000 MT more rice by harnessing hill waters in Khagrachhari</i>
14 small dams on streams built at Tk 30 lakh irrigate 800 hectares
Echachhara creek barrage in Matiranga upazila, one of many in Khagrachhari, harnessing hill water that benefits 200 farmers. Photo: STAR
Creek barrage, an innovation to harness water from streams in hilly areas for farming, has brought prospect for better production and poverty alleviation in hill district Khagrachhari. Some 10 thousand farmers are getting benefit as district Agriculture Extension Department (AED) arranged construction of 14 creek barrages from 2003 to 2008. A creek barrage, built between two hills to stack upper hill stream, is used for farming during the dry season, cultivating fishes and ducks all the year round and meet the demand of water. The barrages in six upazilas in Khagrachhari have brought under cultivation over 800 hectares of fallow land, where at least 3,000 tonnes of rice is now produced annually, AED sources said. Five of the creek barrages are in Matiranga upazila, two in Mohalchhari upazila, one in Manikchhari upazila, two in Dighinala upazila, three in Ramgarh upazila and one in Laxmichhari upazila. It cost Tk 30 lakh for construction of the 14 creek barrages as Tk 1.7 lakh to Tk 2.5 lakh was spent for a barrage, sources said. The Daily Star correspondent during his visit at remote Shantipur in Dighinala upazila, Lemuchhari in Mohalchhari upazila and Echachhara in Matiranga upazila talked with several farmers and collected data. Mohammad Shahidullah 45, a farmer from Echachhara under Matiranga upazila, said at least 200 farmers were benefited as more than 100 hectares of land came under cultivation after construction of Echachhara creek barrage. Through forming a farmer's cooperative, they also cultivated fish and reared ducks in the water bodies created beside the creek barrage and gained much profit, he said. Jobal Chakma, a farmer from Shantipur in Dighinala, said at least 275 farmers were benefited by farming on some 165 hectares of fallow land following building of a creek barrage in the area. They also cultivated fishes in the water bodies created after building the creek barrage, he said. “We are happy with the success of creek barrage projects. It is helping farmers to gain solvency,” said AED Deputy Director TM Monjurul Islam. “Now farmers in other areas want more creek barrages following the success of creek barrage in their neighboring areas, Md Nurul Amin, assistant secretary of Chittagong Hill Tracts Ministry, said after a recent visit to a creek barrage in Dighinala upazila. Against the demand of 2.6 lakh tonne of rice, the district produces only 1.7 lakh tonnes of rice. The creek barrage method was introduced in Khagrachhari hill district from Malaysia and Thailand in 2003-2004, AED sources said.
For all latest news, follow The Daily Star's Google News channel.
Comments