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Hundreds of tonnes of low quality rice are being imported from India through the Sonamasjid Land Port to meet the internal demand of the country, according to sources close to the land port activities.
   Some importers, clearing and forwarding agents and port officials are stated to be active at this land port to identify the low quality imported rice as of correct standard.
   These people have intensified their activities after the authorities of the Mymensingh central storage depot last week refused to store about 200 tonnes of rice as being sub-standard.
   This low quality rice was sent to Mymensingh CSD from Sonamasjid Land Port.
   After the Mymensingh CSD authorities declined to accept the low quality Indian rice it was sent back to the godowns of the importers under Shibganj upazila in Chapainawabganj by nine trucks.
   The land port sources said a section of importers brought in low quality wet rice by placing bags of good quality above the bags of former in trucks.
   The rice testing body allowed the rice-laden trucks to depart from the land port only after examining some bags of rice placed at the upper layer, the sources added.
   Abdur Rashid, general secretary of the C&F Agent Association, said the standard of quality of the rice in question was good, but it was returned from the government godowns because of high percentage of moisture.

The country’s largest irrigation project, Teesta Irrigation Project, has raised concern among the farmers as the Dinajpur main irrigation canal’s embankment, one of the project’s vital components, is breaching on a regular basis.
   For the last few days breach at the left side of the embankment on the Dinajpur main canal is going on unabated at the village Harish Chandra Paat under Jaldhaka upazila.
   While visiting, this correspondent found that an area, stretching about 150 feet long on the left embankment of the canal, is under the grip of breaching. As a consequence, a sluice gate built at the point is under threat.
   The observation road of the Water Development Board which is for the monitoring of the water flow and irrigation also remained vulnerable.
   If the breach advances even a few feet, the road will be damaged and thousands of acres of paddy field will go under water.
   The executive engineer of the local Water Development Board, Yasin Ali, told New Age that the section-in-charge of his office had already visited the spot.
   He, however, said repair work of the project, despite fund constraints, would start soon.
   Voicing concern local people alleged that instead of repairing the breach immediately, the board authority is delaying intentionally.
   The breach is expanding every day, they anxiously said.
   It is mentionable that three major breaches took place on the embankments of the canal excepting the said breach at Harish Chandra Paat almost within a month.
   About 3,000 acres of field land have already submerged and irrigation of several thousand acres of land was disrupted.
   At least 15 major breaches took place in the embankments of different canals under the Teesta Irrigation Project since it was commissioned on June 30, 1998.
   Local farmers have always alleged that the embankments were not built properly. Sand was used there instead of earth without compaction.
   But the WDB blamed the local people for sabotaging by leaking the embankments in order to steal water.

At least 15 hand tube-wells and 10 boring pipes of deep tube-wells were stolen from some remote villages in Nilphamari on Sunday and Monday.
   On the night of March 13, some 15 hand tube-wells of Sajedul, Rahimuddin, Sadekul, Ramjan of Fakir Para Dakhil Madrasha under Jora Bari Union of Domar Upazila were stolen.
   Ten boring pipes of deep tube-wells of Mahubar Rahman, Awal, Mojahar, Gulzar Rahman of Station Para village of Tupa Mari Union under Sadar Upazila and Abdur Rashid, Abdus Sattar, Sadek Ali, Nasir Uddin, Hamid of Dhulia Para under Sadar Upazila were lifted by thieves from IRRI-boro fields on the night of March 14.
   The farmers of this region got panicky over the incidence of the theft of tube-wells and pipes very frequently. Many of them are now guarding the irrigation pump rooms at night.