Ansar-VDP voluntary drive clears 500-foot canal in Keshabpur, saving 650 bighas of farmland
Jashore Correspondent
A voluntary drive conducted by members of the Bangladesh Ansar and Village Defence Party (VDP) successfully cleared a 500-foot canal in the historic Sagardari area of Keshabpur Upazila, protecting approximately 600 to 650 bighas of standing Aman paddy fields from severe waterlogging.
The drive was carried out at Kadar Beel under Ward No. 8 of No. 2 Sagardari Union, adjacent to the Kopotaksho River near the ancestral home of epic poet Michael Madhusudan Dutt. Heavy monsoon rainfall coupled with a narrow outlet and heavy accumulation of aquatic weeds, water hyacinths, algae, and garbage had severely restricted water flow through the canal, threatening extensive crop damage across the agricultural tract.
Responding to the crisis, Ansar Platoon Commander and local leader Md. Yasin Ali organized an emergency cleanup initiative. Ansar and VDP personnel entered the canal to manually remove aquatic vegetation and debris along a 500-foot stretch, fully restoring normal drainage.
Sub-Assistant Agriculture Officer of No. 2 Sagardari Union Mohammad Nur Islam provided technical guidance and agricultural advisory support during the operation. Local farmers expressed relief as the restored drainage averted major yield losses for the current Aman season.
Ansar and VDP authorities noted that voluntary community activities are being systematically logged under the force's Service Transformation and Digital Management System (STDMS) database to track social security and public welfare contributions nationwide alongside routine law enforcement duties.
