Abur Rouf Ujjal, Nandigram (Bogura)

A prolonged dry spell has left vast stretches of Aman rice fields in Nandigram, Bogra, parched and cracked, threatening crop yields during a critical growth stage. With no rainfall, farmers are scrambling for artificial irrigation, but operational delays—driven by electricity load shedding and fears of transformer theft—have pushed them into severe uncertainty.

According to the Upazila Agriculture Office, Aman rice has been cultivated across 19,545 hectares of land in the upazila this season, supported by 353 deep tube wells. However, as the crops reach the vital tillering and ear-emergence stages, water shortages in areas like Chakalma, Ridhail, and Katham are causing rice seedlings to droop and turn yellow.

The crisis has been compounded by infrastructure challenges. Tube well operators are reluctant to run pumps due to frequent power disruptions and fear of equipment theft. "I took down the transformer after thieves recently stole electrical wiring," explained Bablu, a local deep tube well owner. "Repeatedly reinstalling and removing transformers is costly, and with constant load shedding, keeping irrigation running is financially risky."

Local farmers—including Joynal Hossain of Ridhail, Mahatab of Katham, and Jamil Uddin of Chakalma—expressed deep concern over potential crop destruction if water supply is not restored immediately. "The soil has cracked, and ears are already emerging. Without urgent irrigation, we face massive production losses," said Jamil Uddin.

To protect this season's yield and prevent major financial loss for the farming community, local growers are calling on authorities to ensure uninterrupted power supply, secure irrigation equipment, and streamline emergency water delivery across the upazila.