In West Madhukhali village, Majnu Hawlader starts his day by fetching pond water to feed his cattle due to the contamination of the Jaban Khan canal in Patuakhali. The canal, crucial for drinking, irrigation, and livestock, became brackish after a sluice gate was opened at night, affecting around 400 farming families in three villages of Kalapara upazila.
The intrusion of saline water has led to distress among the residents. Numerous ducks have perished, and cattle refuse to drink from the contaminated canal. This situation has forced farmers to manually transport pond water in buckets to sustain their livestock.
Abu Yusuf Akon shared how 22 of his ducks died from drinking the canal water, with carcasses seen floating in the canal. Kawsar Gazi, a member of the local Union Parishad, highlighted the canal’s importance for irrigation and daily activities for farmers in Mithaganj Union.
The canal, already facing siltation issues, faced further challenges when the sluice gate was opened, allegedly for fish catching purposes, resulting in saline water intrusion. Mezbah Uddin Khan Dulal, chairman of Mithaganj Union Parishad, emphasized the necessity of a temporary embankment to prevent such occurrences and lamented the actions that led to the current crisis.
Kalapara Upazila Nirbahi Officer Kawsar Hamid pledged to investigate the matter and ensure appropriate actions are taken following the distress faced by the farmers.