The Halda Valley Tea Estate authorities have been accused of illegally extracting water by changing the speed of the Baromasia Canal in Fatikchhari. On the other hand, the Water Development Board (WDB) has written to the tea estate authorities to stop unilaterally extracting water by installing high-capacity pumps.But the garden authorities are still not accepting it. Meanwhile, farmers in the area have expressed extreme dissatisfaction over not getting water. In this situation, the upazila administration is saying that action should be taken soon.It is known that to facilitate the cultivation of marginal farmers, the government installed a medium-sized sluice gate in the Narayanhat Idilpur area of the upazila in 1980. Every year during the dry season, hundreds of farmers use it to cultivate boro as per their needs.

 

But every year, hundreds of farmers in the area are unable to cultivate as per their requirements due to the negligence of the garden authorities. As a result, there is extreme anger and frustration among the farmers regarding the issue.The tea garden authorities are changing the course of the Baromasia canal above the Idilpur sluice gate and installing 6 high-power pumps at different places in the canal to pump water. Residents of those places have said that it is not possible for anyone to say anything against the garden authorities or to stay here in any way.As a result, everyone is hostage to the rule and exploitation of the authorities. They want to be freed from this hostage situation and monitored by the administration.Barmasia Water Management Committee President Md. Fazlul Karim said, "It's hard to think that hundreds of farmers in the area are suffering for water. But I can't say anything to the garden authorities. Farmers weave dreams in Boro. They work day and night to meet the needs of the country. If this is the case, how will we survive?"Md. Sohag Talukder, sub-divisional engineer of the Water Development Board, Chittagong, said, "The unilateral extraction of water by the plantation authorities in this way is a punishable crime. Everyone needs to know this principle that if the farmers survive, the country will survive. We have given them a deadline. If they do not comply, legal action will be taken."Fatikchhari UNO  Md. Mozammel Haque Chowdhury said that the tea garden authorities are diverting water from the Barmasia Canal and pumping about 1,200 liters of water per minute through a one-way tap. This is damaging about 500 acres of Boro crops in the area.Based on this complaint, a drive was conducted against the tea plantation yesterday, and water diversion was stopped at four points upstream of the canal and the power supply to the pump was disconnected.