Waterlogging mars plans of three agri organisations in Magura

MAGURA, Aug 19: Waterlogging is depicting a grim picture for the agricultural landscape in Magura district, resulting in various difficulties for three agricultural organisations.

The three organisations are Horticulture Centre, Bangladesh Institute of Nuclear Agriculture (BINA) and Regional Spice Research Centre. All the three organisations lie in the western part of the town in a row.

They had been contributing a lot to agriculture of the south-western part of the country for a long time. But waterlogging seized upon croplands of the organisations hampering their activities badly. Water stagnation for more than a month has heavily weighed on all their activities. Though the organisations were facing the same difficulties for years their cry for remedy was falling on deaf ears. The rainwater of these three organisations will fall into water body passing through a drain.

But snail-pace in construction work of the drain has left the three organisations in a deplorable condition hampering their activities. Horticulture Centre, Magura sources informed the FE that they had embarked on a project for growing mango and guava seedlings with a view to providing farmers and traders with the same. But water-logging for more than a month in their plots has shattered their dream. Around 80 per cent of their seedlings have already been damaged due to the situation. BINA Magura sub-centre sources said they made a plan to produce five new varieties of paddy in their own cultivation plots. But water stagnation for more than a month has foiled their plan. They are yet to start cultivation of the new varieties and cultivation has now become uncertain as it is still raining causing more inundation.

Regional Spice Research Centre , Magura sources said they brought their land under BARI new variety turmeric and chilli. But their turmeric and chilli have already been damaged by 50 per cent due to waterlogging.

On the other hand farmers of the south-western region look at the Regional Spice Research Centre, Magura to get sophisticated spice seeds. The damage has raised despair among the seed seeking growers as well as the researchers of the institute.

On contact, BINA officer-in-charge Dr Shushan Chowhan said, "Farmers always come to us in search of new varieties of crop seeds. If we fail to provide those, they get disheartened. We are hearing for a long time that the construction work of the drain is going on. But we don't know when the construction work will be completed."

Magura Horticulture Centre's horticulturist Md Shahinuzzaman said after a few days traders and farmers will come to us for seedlings. But we don't know what should we tell them. For several years we are facing waterlogging. But our cry for necessary steps is going unheeded."

When contacted, Magura municipality executive engineer Md Ahsan Bari said construction of the drain is going on in full swing. The work will be completed within the scheduled time- November.

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