The desired amount of rainfall could not be achieved in Ishwardi of Pabna during monsoon season and even after monsoon, the region lacks rainfall. In addition, the temperature was unbearable every day. Crop fields, ponds are overflowing. People are looking to the sky for rain. Sometimes there are clouds in the sky but there is no rain. Even though the monsoon season came to an end, most of the farmers here could not plant aman seedlings due to lack of sufficient rain.
Usually, Ishwardi receives maximum rainfall in June and July. The amount of which is about 620 millimeters on average. But this year only 154 mm of rain has been received in these two months. Which is the highest in the last few years. Ishwardi recorded 84 mm of rainfall last June and only 70 mm in July. The previous year in 2021 saw 428 mm of rainfall in June and 284 mm in July. This information is known from Ishwardi Meteorological Observatory.
Helal Uddin, official of Ishwardi Meteorological Observatory, said that climate change is having an effect. Due to this, there is less rainfall. In other years, low pressure and depression form in the Bay of Bengal in June and July. Rain is mainly due to its effect. However, this year no such low pressure and low pressure has been created. Besides, the south-west monsoon which is active during the monsoon season, was not there this time. Referring to the weather forecast, Helal Uddin said that Ishwardi may experience rain at the end of August. Nevertheless, it will be less than other years.
According to the office of the Ishwardi Upazila Agriculture Officer, the target for cultivation of saplings has been set in 3 thousand 500 hectares of land in the Ishwardi Upazila and municipal areas this season. From the first week of the month of monsoon, the planting season of Kharip-2 seedlings of Aman Ufsi varieties of paddy begins. But due to lack of water, many farmers have not been able to plant seedlings in the land so far. The agriculture department here thinks that there will be a big impact on the production of Aman rice without rain water.
It has been seen that during the full monsoon season, the low-lying areas including ponds and ponds are becoming empty of water. Farmers are not able to go down to Aman Abad due to lack of rain water. It can also be seen that some farmers have created seedbeds using irrigation water on the land and are preparing fields for planting Aman rice seedlings. At this time, four-five farmers spoke about their worries due to lack of rain.
Hasan Chowdhury, a farmer of Sara Gopalpur in the municipal area, said that the farmers are worried because of the lack of rain. The planting time of Aman paddy of this season starts from the first week of the month of Shravan. This time Aman is preparing to produce paddy in 8 bigha land but due to lack of rain he has planted saplings in 4 bigha land by taking water through irrigation and spending extra money.
He said that the remaining four bigha land can be planted if it rains, otherwise production may not be possible this time. He said that rainwater is good for planting saplings. If there is not enough rain, many farmers will not be able to plant Aman paddy. Shariful Islam, a farmer of Pierpur area, said that last year too, it rained day after day in the month of monsoon. But this time there is no rain. He said that it is difficult for a poor farmer like me to cultivate Aman paddy by spending extra money on irrigation, but last few days irrigation water has been arranged and seedlings have been planted.
Murad Ali Malitha, a farmer and A-League leader of Patirajpur village of Muladuli union of the upazila, set a target of producing Aman paddy on 40 bigha of land. He waited for the rains during monsoon to prepare the fields. But it didn't rain. He added that as there is no rain, for the time being, the planting of saplings has been started in some fields by watering the fields with the help of pumps. Aman paddy production will not be possible in the rest of the land if there is no rain water.
Ishwardi upazila agriculture officer Mita Sarkar said that the amount of rainfall in Ishwardi is very less this time. Still many farmers are planting Aman paddy through irrigation. Many farmers are waiting for rain. So far this season, 30 to 40 percent of the farmers have been able to prepare fields with irrigation water and plant Aman seedlings.
If there is no rain in the next few days, then the Aman paddy crop in Ishwardi may decrease by 50 to 60 percent. He said, if there is no rain, neither the agriculture department nor the farmer can do anything. Still, farmers are advised to use irrigation water for cultivation.
