Drying of paddy straw on different roads and regional highways in the district continues unabated, making the roads risky for vehicular movement. Sources said small and large vehicles, and even pedestrians face difficulties and often meet accidents because of straw or any crop on the busy roads.
While visiting different roads, including Kishoreganj-Bhairab Regional Highway, Kishoreganj-Pakundia Regional Road, Itna-Mithamain-Ostgram all-weather road, Kishoreganj-Karimganj Road, Kishoreganj-Nikli Road and Nikli-Bajitpur Road, this correspondent found that the roads were covered with straw during the peak Boro harvesting season. The roads have become narrow for traffic movement due to drying of paddy straw there.
Farmers said they can easily dry paddy straw on a road just in a single day. So, most of the people are drying paddy and straw on the roads. However, according to the Highways Act-2021, highways cannot be used for drying crops, straw or any other products or for any such purpose.
In different areas, the Boro farmers are cutting paddy from their fields and putting their crops on the road. Besides, they are threshing rice and drying straw on the roads. Buses, trucks, microbuses, private cars along with auto-rickshaws, auto-vans, bicycles and motorcycles are running on those straws amid risk of accidents. Sometimes small vehicles slip while moving on the straw. However, pedestrians are constantly using the roads, risking their lives.
Many drivers said the farmers spread paddy and straw on the roads thinking that it is their wealth. They do not think that any major accident can take place due to paddy and straw. They are running vehicles on such roads fearing accidents.
Motorcyclists Jahangir Badsha and Saifullah said the motorcycles may slip because of the straw on the road. Serious accident can occur due to it. None cares about the accident risk.
A bus driver, Asad, said, “I drive the bus from Kishoreganj to Dhaka. We have to reach the destination within a certain period of time. If there is straw on the road, the bus cannot be driven fast. However, the bus has to be driven fast risking lives. Especially when two vehicles pass at a time, they have to move to the very edge of the road. Driving on the road consisting of dry paddy and straw is very risky.”
Civil society representative Syed Yashin said farmers and agriculture should be saved as well as people traveling on the road. There is a law that straw cannot be dried on the road. “We have to implement the law with the collective efforts of all,” he said.
According to the sources in Kishoreganj Department of Agricultural Extension, the district witnessed a bumper production of Boro paddy this year due to favorable weather condition.
A total of 11,53,856 metric tons of paddy have been produced in the district. Farmers are drying these paddy and straw on various roads and highways of the district due to lack of necessary space.
Maidul Islam, deputy divisional engineer of the Roads and Highways Department, said it is forbidden to dry straw on the road. “We always warn the farmers that drying of straw on the road increases the risk of accidents. Our activities in this regard are going on, he added.”
Executive Engineer of Kishoreganj LGED Md Amirul Islam said, “I will present the issue of straw drying on rural roads in the coordination meeting.”
Kishoreganj Additional Superintendent of Police (Crime and Obs) Mohammad Al Amin Hossain said the police are working to increase awareness among the people. Police will take legal action in case of violation of law, he said.
