People of at least 35 villages in 3 unions of Beanibazar are finding it difficult to cultivate crops due to the sluice gate.

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Local sources said almost 12 years ago, at the request of the Kurarbazar locals, this sluice gate was established to aid communication systems with the Sylhet-Zakiganj-Beanibazar road. However the sluice gate is of no help in conserving the water flow and dried up the region, has become uncultivable.

Also the sluice gate has created scarcity of local fish in the adjacent water bodies.

Habib Ahmed Dutta Chowdhury area’s liberation war researcher said, ‘in the flood season Kushiyara River’s water won't flow through the unplanned sluice gate as a result Karsati canal gets filled up with soil.’

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Bianibazar Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO) Moushumi Mahbub said, ‘locals have already informed us about the issue. Letter for taking effective measures will soon be sent to the Water Development Board (WDB) and others involved’

According to the sources, Karsati sluice gate was mentioned in the government’s plan with no prior excavation work, water used to clog and agriculture would get hampered. Locals are hopeful a Tk 19 lakh project of re-excavating 10 km of the canal initiated by the WDB Sylhet in the current fiscal year might solve the problem to some extent.

Also read: 'Rivers have the right to flow freely'