Irrigation problem grips the watermelon farmers in Kuakata area in Kalapara upazila under the district as there no suitable sources of sweet water in the area.
“This season I cultivated watermelon on eight bighas of land, spending Tk 55,000. But as there is no source of sweet water around, I dug three holes in my field to get water for irrigation. I have to spend a few hours daily to collect water from the holes,” said Abul Bashar of Poshchim Khajura village in Lembur Char, about five km to the west of Kuakata Zero Point.
“Like me, many farmers in the area are irrigating their fields with the water collected from holes dug in the fields as watermelon cultivation brings good profit,” said Bashar who earned Tk 2,35,000 last year from watermelon farming.
“We have to put a lot of effort and labour to collect water from holes. It would be of great help if authorities arrange shallow or deep-tube wells to ensure water for watermelon cultivation,” said Al-Amin, another farmer.
Visiting the area, this correspondent saw farmers collecting water from holes with pitchers and irrigating their fields with it.
Local farmer Idris Howlader said he could not cultivate watermelon this year due to water crisis although he cultivated the fruit on six bighas of land last year.
This year, farmers cultivated watermelon on about 4,000 hectares of land in different areas of Kalapara upazila, including Latachaplee, Lalua, Champapur, Devpur, Dhulashar and Dhankhali, while the cultivation area was about 3,500 hectares last year, said source at the upazila agriculture office.
Many people in the upazila are interested to engage in the profitable farming but there is no large pond, deep canal or ditch in the area to store sweet water for irrigating the fields.
Md Moshiur Rahman, Kalapara upazila agriculture extension officer, said they tried to solve the problem by sinking both shallow and deep tube-wells for watermelon cultivators but the attempt proved futile as every year water level fluctuates in the areas adjacent to the bay, making the tube-wells practically dysfunctional.
Source: The Daily Star