Prospect of Irri-Boro on over 1,000 acres of land in Kamalapur union under Patuakhali Sadar upazila has become bleak as the lands cannot be irrigated as the canal running through the fields has been leased to some influential people. The lessees have built seven dams in the canal, obstructing its flow, sources said. "We went to the local union parishad chairman several times to resolve the problem but to no effect,' farmer Shahjahan Sikder told this correspondent. "Our paddy and other crops will dry up within days if the canal water cannot be used for irrigation,' said another farmer Anwar Molla. Local farmers also submitted a written complaint to the deputy commissioner to remove all dams in the canal to ensure irrigation water for their crop fields. Asked by the DC, the assistant commissioner (Land) of Sadar upazila yesterday visited the area and talked to farmers. He told this correspondent that he will submit a report to the DC soon. When contacted, local UP chairman Monir Rahman said some jobless local youths leased the canal from the fisheries office and youth development office and started fish cultivation in it. "I am trying to resolve the problem with the help of upazila administration,' he said.