Tension mounted among affected farmers at Barapukuria who could not grow their main crops of Aman and Boro in the last two seasons due to subsidence of land around the coalmine.
The farmers, most of whom have no other means of livelihood, are yet to get compensation for the loss of crops in two successive years.
Local people and officials concerned told New Age that Barapukuria Coal Mining Company had been giving compensation for subsidence of croplands regularly before harvest over the last few seasons.
The deputy commissioner's office took responsibility for arranging the compensation and land acquisition for the Barapukuria coal mine project after the government had declared a compensation package on November 8, 2010.
BCMCL managing director Mohammad Kamruzzaman told New Age that the deputy commissioner's office was conducting all activities and paying compensation money according to acquisition rules. 'We are no more concerned about it,' he added.
Ataur Rahman of Barapukuria bazar area with a family of five dependents has been broke after losing his five acres of farmland to the coalmine.
Hasan, an elderly farmer of Jigagari village, told New Age that his five acres of farmland had subsided due to mining and could not grow any crops in the last two seasons.
'We were once rich farmers, but now we are going to be pauper,' said Abul Hossain of Gigagari. His 3 acres of cropland went under water as the land subsided.
None from the authorities concerned offered them any compensation. Almost all affected families of Jigagari, Kalupara, Baidyanathpur, Balarampur and Pachgharia mauzas have similar stories to tell.
BCMCL had been compensting people for lost farmlands since 2005-06 fiscal year after 9.5 acres of cropland had subsided for the first time for coal extraction from Barapukuria mine.
In 2009-10 fiscal year, the stretch of subsided farmland increased to 201.7 acres and BCMCL gave each affected farmer Tk 36,700 as compensation for Boro crop.
Farmers at Jigagari said that coal extraction had triggered land subsidence in new areas in the north of the village which would greatly affect farmers who had already lost their two main crops.
At present, homes of 25 families have been submerged due to monsoon downpour in last two days. These families have left their home and taken shelter in neighbors' houses.
Barapukuria Bhumi O Shampad Rakhya Commitee and the local wing of the Committee to protect Oil, Gas, Mineral Resources, Ports and Power submitted a memorandum to BCMCL office demanding resumption of compensation to the affected
farmers.
Source : New Age
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