Mahidul Islam Ripon, Dinajpur

Progress is being made in the development of agricultural work as the long-abandoned Nonakhari canal in Birol Upazila of Dinajpur district has been completed and opened to the farmers for irrigation. There is a sense of relief among local farmers as the Nonakhari canal has been re-excavated.

Biral Upazila Relief and Rehabilitation Project Implementation Officer Md. Ziaur Rahman confirmed this information.

He said that due to the timely completion of the long-abandoned Nonakhari Canal re-excavation project under the Employment Action Plan for the Very Poor funded by the Ministry of Disaster Management and Relief in Birol Upazila of the district, water security in the crop fields and development of rural infrastructure in that area have now started to be visible. As a result, a breeze of relief is blowing among the farmers of this neglected township. At the same time, local farmers and locals are excited with the hope of major changes in the local agriculture and communication system.

The work of the Nonakhari Canal excavation project in Biral Upazila of the district is almost at its final stage. The local upazila administration is regularly monitoring to provide quality canal excavation within the stipulated time. This Nonakhari Canal, which extends from the Pakura Land Port of Bhandara Union No. 6 of Biral Upazila to the border of Bochaganj Upazila in the north of the district, had long been an abandoned canal due to lack of renovation. An initiative was taken to re-excavate this canal under the employment program for the very poor implemented by the Ministry of Disaster Management and Relief. Alhaj Sadiq Riaz Chowdhury Pinak, Member of Parliament for Dinajpur-2 (Biral-Bochaganj) constituency, inaugurated the re-excavation work of this Nonakhari Canal on May 3.

In this project, allocated Tk 23,39,266 by the Department of Relief and Disaster Management, modern drains and culverts have been constructed for water drainage, including digging the Nonakhari canal. To increase the stability of the canal, tree saplings, durable and strong trees are being planted on both banks.

Expressing satisfaction with the canal excavation work, many local farmers and locals said that this time irrigation water will be available from this canal during the dry season. And during the rainy season, public suffering and waterlogging in the area will be eliminated. The local people expressed their expectations that the excavation of this canal has benefited us a lot. Earlier, water was not available during the dry season, and it was very difficult to grow crops and cultivate for agricultural purposes. Now, with the construction of drains and culverts, it is expected that both transportation and cultivation will be easier.

In this regard, Dinajpur Biral Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO) Md. Rezaul Islam said, "We are regularly supervising the quality canal excavation work to provide the people with a gift within the stipulated time. However, the work is almost at the final stage. We hope that the local people will be able to enjoy its 100% benefits."

Local MP Alhaj Sadiq Riaz Chowdhury Pinak said that the main goal of this special canal excavation project program undertaken by the Ministry of Disaster Management and Relief is to develop rural towns and create employment for the very poor. Along with this, it is also to help farmers produce more crops through modern agriculture. In this project, trees and grass have been planted on both sides of the excavated canal to protect the environment, including canal excavation, construction of drains and culverts. As a result of tree planting, there will be very little chance of banks breaking on both sides of the canal. As a result, he hopes that the water supply of the canal will be correct in a sustainable and robust manner and farmers will be able to use water easily for irrigation.

Officially, the authorities concerned with canal excavation, Dinajpur District Relief and Rehabilitation Officer Md. Abdul Karim and the conscious people of the area believe that such canal excavation will benefit the rural economy. It is expected that such abandoned canal excavation projects will play a sustainable role in agricultural irrigation systems to combat the harmful effects of climate change.