Another farmer’s suicide attempt in Rajshahi, investigation committee
Another farmer named Mukul Saren (35) tried to commit suicide by drinking pesticides in Rajshahi’s Godagari upazila.
Correspondent, Rajshahi Tuesday April 11, 2023 05:22 PM Last Updated: Tuesday April 11, 2023 06:04 PM
Another farmer named Mukul Saren (35) tried to commit suicide by drinking pesticides in Rajshahi’s Godagari upazila.
His relatives said that he tried to commit suicide after not being able to ensure irrigation in boro farming.
Resident of Golai village of Mukul upazila. He is under treatment at Rajshahi Medical College Hospital since Monday morning.
Doctors said that Saren’s physical condition has improved. Now he can talk.
On Tuesday, Rajshahi Deputy Commissioner Shamim Ahmed told The Daily Star that he visited Saren in the hospital on Monday night. At that time, his family members alleged that Saren tried to commit suicide due to non-availability of irrigation water.
A 3-member investigation committee has been formed by the district administration. The committee headed by the Upazila Nirbahi Officer has been asked to submit the investigation report within the next 7 days,’ said Ahmed.
In March last year, Abhinath Mardi and his cousin Ravi Mardi, residents of neighboring Ishwaripur village, committed suicide by drinking pesticides after not getting irrigation water.
Abhinath’s wife became the plaintiff and filed a case at Godagari police station against Sakhawat, the president of Ward Farmers League of Deopara Union of the upazila and deep tube well operator.
The police filed a charge sheet against him in the court accusing him of abetting suicide by neglecting to supply water.
The Varendra Multipurpose Development Authority (BMDA), the region’s agriculture watchdog, removed Sakhawat and appointed Hashem Ali Babu as a deep tubewell operator.
Under the same irrigation program, this year Mukul Saren started cultivating Boro paddy in two lands of about 3.5 bigha taken under contract.
“Saren was well irrigated when cultivation started in February,” said his mother Duli Hembram. He is taking care of his son in the hospital.
He also said, ‘Now is the time for flowers to come in the paddy. During this time the land needs to have water. This time Saren did not get water for 8 consecutive days.
“The operator has harassed,” said Saren. Every day for the last one week he would give water the next day – return it with a promise.’
Saren went to the local union council and made a verbal complaint to the chairman but to no avail.
He said that the operator will get 80 rupees from him for repairing the irrigation pipe.
‘Couldn’t pay money to meet other expenses in agriculture. That’s why the operator shut off the water,’ he said.
Due to lack of sufficient water, the paddy plants of 7 khata land started turning yellow. Cultivated land bursts into soil. Paddy of another 3 bigha land also started turning yellow.
‘I felt helpless. Being a Santal community, I have no power to force anyone,’ said Saran.
Saran collected 2 bottles of insecticide from the irrigation house. He drank a bottle of pesticide in front of the operator on Sunday afternoon. Babu grabbed another bottle and left. Then Saren walked home. He was taken to the hospital when he felt ill at night.
The hospital staff said that he was admitted to Rajshahi Medical College Hospital around 3 pm on Monday.
At that time, the Deputy Commissioner of Rajshahi came to see him in the hospital and told him the entire incident. The District Commissioner gave him some money for the medical expenses and assured Saren that he would get justice.
“I have instructed the officials to give my mobile phone number to the farmers so that they can inform me directly if they do not get irrigation water in future,” the district commissioner told The Daily Star .
He further said, ‘The Upazila Executive Officer has been asked to monitor agricultural work more closely. We will not tolerate any negligence in the supply of irrigation water to the cropland.’
Mukul Saren’s elder brother Ravi Kisku was also present at the hospital. He said, ‘The major reason for the water crisis in this region is the illegal cultivation of additional land and excessive water consumption with the cooperation of the operator.’
He said, ‘water is supposed to be supplied to 250 bigha of land from deep tube wells. But the operator has included more land in the irrigation program to generate additional income. The total amount of land is 450 bighas.
He said, ‘It takes 7 days to get water on 250 bigha land. When the land size becomes 450 bighas, the farmer is forced to wait for more than 10 days to get water.’
“Water is not available, the overuse of deep tubewells is exacerbating the water crisis,” said Ravi Kisku.
When contacted, operator Hashem Ali Babu said, ‘Every one of the farmers is pressing for water as the heat wave is going on. How can I give water to everyone at the same time!’
Babu denied the allegation of including additional land in the irrigation programme. He further said, ‘I snatched a bottle of pesticide from him (Mukul Saren). I don’t know if he took another bottle of pesticide or not.’
‘When Saran was afraid of eating pesticides, I asked him to go to the field. I was giving him water but he went home,’ he said.
