A Correspondent:
Feni: Environment, Forest and Climate Change Minister Abdul Awal Mintoo yesterday inaugurated the re-excavation work of the Dadnar Canal in Daganbhuyan Upazila yesterday in the district, aiming to improve irrigation facilities and restore the natural water flow in the area.
The inauguration ceremony was held in Mirerpul area of Yakubpur Union in the afternoon.
Speaking at the event, the minister said that Sheheed President Ziaur Rahman had once launched a na-tionwide voluntary canal excavation program to increase agricultural production.
He added that Prime Minister Tarique Rahman has revived the initiative to re-excavate canals that have long been abandoned and filled with garbage.
The Prime Minister also inaugurated the nationwide program from Kaharol in Dinajpur earlier in the day, with ministers and members of parliament from 53 districts joining the effort.
The minister noted that farmers once relied heavily on canal irrigation for agricultural production, but the groundwater level has dropped significantly over the years.
“Where water was previously found at a depth of around 100 feet, now it often requires drilling 200 to 300 feet, making irrigation more difficult and expensive,” he said.
Warning that canal pollution has been harming the environment, the minister said that re-excavating ca-nals and reconnecting them to rivers will help ensure irrigation water availability and reduce waterlog-ging during the rainy season.
The minister urged local leaders and residents to cooperate with the project by identifying canal bounda-ries and removing illegal encroachments, emphasizing that canals cannot be occupied under any circum-stances.
Deputy Commissioner Monira Haque said that under the government’s program, two canals in each upazila of the district will be re-excavated.
Information about 42 canals in Daganbhuyan Upazila has also been sent to the Prime Minister’s Office for future development initiatives.
Speakers at the event said that re-excavation of all canals and drainage systems in the area will be carried out gradually in phases.
The program was presided over by Deputy Commissioner Monira Haque and moderated by Assistant Teacher Imam Hossain.
Among the special guests were Police Superintendent Md. Shafiqul Islam, BADC Deputy Chief Engi-neer Mohammad Nurnabi, Department of Agricultural Extension Deputy Director Krishibid Mohammad Atiq Ullah, Upazila Executive Officer Md. Shahidul Islam, Feni District BNP Convener Sheikh Farid Bahar, Joint Convener Gazi Habibullah Manik, Upazila BNP Convener Akbar Hossain, , Member Sec-retary Alal Uddin Alal, and others.
