Balurghat: Drying up of Kashia Canal spells trouble for fishermen & farmers

BALURGHAT: Kashia Canal which was once popular for different types of fish has now dried up due to lack of proper planning. Kashia Canal is situated beside Dogachi Forest in Balurghat block.

Earlier many varieties of fish used to come from Kashia Canal to the local fish market of Balurghat. Of those fish, Rohu, Carp, Climbing-fish, Lobster, Scorpion-fish, Trout and Walking-fish were immensely popular.

“Now it is all over. At present, the canal has dried up due to a lack of water and proper planning. We are in trouble and some are migrating to different states, including Mumbai, Delhi and Rajasthan, in search of work,” said a local fisherman.

Another fisherman said: “We now fish for only two months during monsoon as the canal is filled due to rains.” Environmentalists fear that the drying up of the canal is harming the ecosystem.

According to an official source, the lock gate of the adjacent Cuaron area has been non-functional for a long time and as a result, the flow of water at the canal is stopped. Environmental activists claim that if the gate is not repaired, water will not come into the canal. “I will personally look into the problems there and take necessary measures. If the villagers inform me about their problems in written form then I can deliver it to the state level,” stated Consumer Protection minister Biplab Mitra.

The villagers have been demanding a bridge there for a long time but it’s ignored. Biswajit Basak, district coordinator of the North Bengal Fishermen’s Forum and an environmental activist said: “Rivers are connected with canals. As a result, the taste of river and canal fish is almost the same. But now people are eating artificially farmed fish. Agriculture is also facing a problem due to lack of irrigation and following the drying up of canals. Fishermen are losing their livelihood.”

District Magistrate of South Dinajpur Bijin Krishna said: “We will look into the matter. I will also talk to the Fisheries department about whether dredging is necessary.”