By Mukter Hossein from Manikgonj

If willpower, courage and unity is integrated, success is sure. Members of Char Development Farmer’s organization of Lechraganj union under Harimampur upazila of Manikganj district have proved this. There is a pond in the area of 2 acres under the Patargram Char Ashrayan Project-2 of Lechraganj union. Day by day, the pond is being filled with sand and people cannot use it for their purpose. When there is water all year, people take a bath, bath their livestock and let their livestock drink the water of the pond. They also cultivate fish and meet the needs of their family nutrition. However, in the month of Chaitra-Baishakh, the livestock of these people eat grass in the dry place of the pond. During the rainy season, the pond is filled with full of water but it remains only for 4 months while the pond remain waterless in the rest of 8 months making people suffer from fresh water.

Due to lack of water in the pond, 100 families living in Patagramar Ashrayan Project-2 and more than 100 family members in the neighborhood suffered from fresh water. They have to fetch drinking water from a long distance which almost a Kilometer away from their residence. In order to overcome this problem, these people discussed among them and decide to re-excavate the pond. Thus at that time, the people of Lechaganj Char development farmer organization and all those who live in the Ashrayan project took steps to excavate the pond through voluntary work. The pond was excavated in June/2015 by organizing a 30-member committee with voluntary action. After resuscitation of the pond through voluntary action in 2015, members of the farmer organization got the opportunity to cultivate 40 kg of small fishes by contacting the upazila fisheries office in 2016. In 2017, with all their efforts they earn Tk. 30000 (thirty thousand) from that pond. This year, various fish varieties are being cultivated in the pond with the local variety of Shol, Shing, Magur along with Tengra, Silver Carps fish. Besides, the beneficiaries earned Tk. 20000 by selling fish along with their family needs.

Now there is smile on the face of the members of the organization of Char Development Farmer organization. Besides, the pond has water all the year round. In the Ashrayan project, more than 100 families and around 50 other families live in the villages and now have the opportunity to bath and use the water of the ponds for their various purposes. The success of this people has motivated the PatgramAshrayan Project-1 to take initiative reviving the other pond. A communication has been made with HaripurampurUpazila Fisheries Office along with the Char’ Farmer Organization.

If a good initiative becomes successful, many more people in the area can be benefited. The initiative has paved way to strengthen the interdependent relationship of these people living in the area. In addition, there has been an understanding and realization developed among these people to work on other issues. These people thanked BARCIK for its supportive and facilitative role to make their endeavor a success one.

Translated by Bahauddin Bahar