GOPALGANJ, Jan 29: At least thousand acres of land at Kajulia Beel (water body) in Gopalganj Sadar Upazila have remained fallow for the last 30 years due to water logging in the beel since the 1988 flood.
If the water is drained out from the beel, the farmers can cultivate rice there again, according to field sources.
Mohtamim of Kajulia Madrasa Abul Kalam Azad and villagers Atiar Rahman Daria and Samar Chandra Biswas said, "The Kajulia Beel contains five to six canals through which the water of the entire beel is supposed to fall in the Gopalganj-Kotalipara Canal. As a result, the beel was supposed to get dry, but due to the canal's depth and higher bed of the Gopalganj-Kotalipara Canal, the water cannot drain out from the beel, ultimately creating water-logging situation. Following no crops cultivation, a kind of grass has grown there which cannot be cleaned."
Local people think that if the canals flowing to the Gopalganj-Kotalipara Canal are properly dug, the water-logging problem can be solved.
Chairman of Kajulia Union Parishad Makhon Lal Das hoped that the authorities concerned would come forward to resolve the water-logging problem.
Deputy Director of the Department of Agriculture Extension in Gopalganj Samir Kumar Goswami said, "If the water-logging through digging the canals is removed, the local farmers will be able to grow a huge volume of paddy."
Executive Engineer of Water Development Board Md. Safi Uddin gave assurance of necessary allocation for the beel in the next year.
Local people, however, are expecting to overcome their grief by removing the water-logging soon.
