The Water Development Board (WDB) constructed 981 km embankments and over 630 sluice gates in the district to check flooding during wet season and high tide and to provide irrigation facilities in dry season.

But things are just the reverse now, farmers alleged. Farmlands are flooded during the rainy season and are deprived of irrigation water during the dry season because of illegal occupation of sluice gates by local influentials, they said.

Most of the sluice agates in the Sadar, Galachipa, Kalapara, Dosmina, Bouphal, Duwki and Mirjagonj upazilas are illegally controlled by local inlcuentials for fish cultivation, they alleged.

In Boalia canal in Golachipa, there are 16 sluice gates but influentials keep those closed throughout the year for fish cultivation. They earn lakhs of taka. Even, fishermen have to pay them for fishing in the canal, farmer Habib Fakir alleged.

Besides, the influentials allow flow of saline water into the canal, which also affects agriculture, he said.

Motiar, another farmer, said the influentials operate the sluice gates at will, only to cultivate fish.

Motaleb Gazi said during rainy season his croplands are inundated by saline water as the sluice gates are kept open.

When contacted, WDB authorities said they received no complaint regarding the problem. They said they will investigate and take necessary action.