Existence of Chalan Beel at risk due to climate change
Yasmin Reema
Today the existence of Chalan Beel is at risk only for climate change. Some years ago Chalan Beel remained full of water during the four months of rain. Today this Chalan Beel has become almost waterless. As a result farmers of nine upazilas of Chalan Beel areas cannot irrigate their lands. The scene of Chalan Beel last November was pathetic. Farmers and agricultural department informed that if there is not necessary rainfall, they will have to irrigate their lands by underground water.
Rainfall has declined compared to that of last three decades. As a result lower areas of Chalan Beel became waterless in the last week of September. Existence of fish is in distress as the flood water of Chalan Beel has gone out earlier. In last one decade many species of fishes have been lost.
Professor Dr Nazrul Islam of Rajshahi University reported in one of his research papers about it. From May to November there was sufficient rainfall even in the eighties. In Ashar, flood water entered the lower or slightly lower areas and rain water stayed till first fortnight of November. Since 1991 weather has been behaving unnaturally. There was unusual rainfall. Rainfall declined in 1992 and water crisis appeared. Three years later normal flood occurred. In 1996 crisis appeared again and it caused damage of crops. Over the last five years rainfall has declined even more than before. This year rainfall has been much less. This year, the height of flood water was less than that of last five years. This year the quicker decline of rain is a new scene in Chalan Beel. Young of fish entered less with rainwater this year.
The fields of Bona Aman became waterless at slightly lower area. Aman has been cultivated in 58 hectares of land of 9 upazilas of Chalan Beel. Farmers are anxious about their crops as there was not sufficient rain. Farmers and agriculture department have planned to cultivate mustard in 70 hectares of land of Tarash, Singrai, Atrai, Gurudaspur, Chatmohor, Vangura, Faridpur, Sahajadpur and Ullapara upazilas. Farmers will be in a fix over cultivating mustard as the lands from Atrai to Baghabari are waterless. A huge amount of grass will grow as the water has dried before one month. Farmers have to bear huge cost of money to make the land cultivable withdrawing grass. Every year farmers cultivate pop corn in the clay of 20 thousand hectares of land in 9 upazilas. But his year farmers will have to bear more cost in cultivating pop corn. On the other hand farmers are in tension about the underground water as flood water has dried out earlier and the layer of underground water may be deeper. Agricultural officers admit this truth. They are also surprised at the decline of the flood water.
