Canal digging in Dinajpur, Nilphamari hampered

Digging of Bogra irrigation canal under Teesta Irrigation Project of Bangladesh Water Development Board (BWDB) has remained stalled for last three years, following complexities in payment of the value of acquired land.

Amid long delay in the payment and start of the work, the land owners are demanding their compensation as per the existing market price, which is much higher than the value fixed 7-8 years ago.

The 34.50-kilometre-long Bogra irrigation canal meant for supplying water to 20 thousand hectares of cropland in Bogra and Joipurhat districts is the third vital canal of Teesta Irrigation Project under its second phase initiated in year 2006-2007 with an estimated budget of Tk 227.21 crore. 

Two other vital canals, Rangpur irrigation canal and Dinajpur irrigation canal, were constructed under the first phase of the project in 1998.

As the canal goes through Dinajpur and Nilphamari districts, the land department concerned started land acquiring for BWDB in 2007-2008 fiscal year.

The land value was fixed as per the then market price but no payment was made that time due to unavailability of fund.

In 2012, BWDB came to implement the project as fund was available but this time land owners demanded compensation for their land as per the present market prices.

Meanwhile, the authority increased the budget to Tk 420.66 crore in 2012, and BWDB continued construction work at larger portion of Bogra canal from starting point at Rajib village in Nilphamari district and also three attached side canals after paying enhanced land prices settled through negotiation, said Abu Raihan, sub divisional engineer of BWDB in Saidpur.

But the work has remained stalled for three years in 10 km portion of the canal in the downstream consisting about 400 acres of land as BWDB failed to settle the dispute with land owners in seven villages -- Chander Danga, Huglipara, Darikhamar, Baraishal para, Rampur, and Jagannatpur, in Dinajpur and Laxmanpur in Nilphamari district.

"In last month I went to Huglipara village in Dinajpur district with men and machinery to dig a part of the canal in the disputed portion but landowners rushed in with lethal weapons and compelled us to leave the spot. Similar incidents happened at different points," said Shahjahan Ali, section officer of BWDB in Nilphamari division.

Several affected landowners including Alfazuddin, Mominur and Armina Begum said they are determined not to allow canal digging until getting payment for the acquired land at present market rate.

Admitting the situation, executive engineer of BWDB in Saidpur division Abdus Shahid said Dinajpur DC recently paid Tk 27 crore to landowners of Chander Danga, Huglipara, Darikhamar and Jagannatpur villages at revised rate and the problem is settled there.

Efforts are on to break the deadlock in digging the canal with 191.84 acres of land at Baraishalpara and Rampur villages in Dinajpur and 25.71 acres of land at Laxmanpur village in Nilphamari district, he added.