Even though the Bengali month of Shravana has started, there is no sign of monsoon rainfall. There is no rain for several days. Temperatures are often around 36 degrees in the middle of the day. There is no water in canals. Agricultural work is disturbed. In the fear of scorching heat during the day, people are afraid to go out on the streets without much need. Chatmohar's public life has no trace of relief. Farmers are lamenting the lack of water in this agriculturally dependent area dominated by Chalanbil.
Paddy and jute are one of the main crops of this area during the monsoon season. This time, at the beginning of the monsoon, the water in the Nad river increased and the paddy and jute crops of Nimaichra, Handyal, Chaikola and Bilchalon Unions of Chatmohar were damaged in the first phase due to the upstream flow. The people of this area then started cutting unripe jute very quickly in the water. After cutting the jute and soaking it in water, most of the parts of the bill become dry as the water continues to decrease. People's jute wakes dry up. The quality of jute fiber is lost. Besides, as the jute has matured, the farmers of other 8 unions are now cutting jute, but due to lack of water, they are not able to grow jute. Many people are seen transporting jute to far distances in vans, losimons, karimons and cars.
Water is essential for the cultivation of all varieties of Aman rice cultivated in Chatmohar upazila. But due to lack of water for paddy, the paddy plants have faded and died. Farmers in the highlands cut jute and cultivate Ropa Aman paddy in large tracts of land.
Due to lack of rain, they are not able to cultivate Ropa Aman paddy. Those who have already irrigated Aman, the land is being torn apart.
Abdus Samad, a farmer of Suigram in Moolgram Union of the upazila, said that monsoon water has not yet entered the bills of this area. After harvesting Boro paddy, some farmers planted Aman paddy seedlings and it is getting damaged due to intense heat. Also, due to lack of rain, the farmers of this area are not able to plant seedlings of paddy.
Buruj Hossain, a farmer of Charsengram of Bilchalon union of the upazila, said that a few days ago I cut jute and soaked some jute in water for rotting. As the water in the bill dries up, the jute leaves become dry. In order to keep the jute in good condition, we are forced to supply water through shallow tube wells with mud embankments around the jute beds. I have never seen such irony before. On Sunday, Sajedur Rahman of Dodaria village said that this time I had woven jute on ten khata land. To cut the jute, we are taking it to the site canal next to Wapda Dam, four kilometers away in a van. There is no end to suffering due to lack of water.
Talking about heat stress, female vice-chairman of Chatmohar Upazila Parishad, Feroza Parveen, said that it will rain during monsoon, but the opposite is happening. Normal life of people is disrupted due to lack of desired rain for several days and excessive heat. Many are getting sick.
Talking about the adverse effect of lack of water on the agricultural sector, Chatmohar Upazila Agriculture Officer AA Masum Billah said that jute cultivation has been done on 8 thousand 890 hectares of land in the upazila this season. The price and yield of jute is quite good. There is not enough water required to spread the ash by rotting jute. Jute farmers are facing problems due to lack of rain for several days and water in river canals and other water bodies has decreased. As a result, Aman Abad is disturbed.
