Farmers in the haor areas of Sylhet, Netrakona and Sunamganj are living in fear that they may be deprived of their boro paddy’s harvest, as flash floods following incessant rainfall in India’s bordering hilly areas have largely inundated their fields.
Besides the affected farmers, the overt similarities with a similar chain of events in 2017 will have people worried across all sections of society. Back then, it prolonged a hike in the price of rice.
Policymakers will be hoping and praying there is no repeat of that, given the upward pressure on prices that is already a reality gripping the populace.
In Netrakona, the farmers of haor areas in Khaliajury upazila are busy harvesting their green and ripe paddy, fearing losses caused by onrush of water downstream.
Executive Engineer of Netrakona Water Development Board ML Soikat said “The water level of Dhanu River has risen 10 cm on Monday noon due to rainfall in India’s Cherrapunji. As a result, the Dhanu river was flowing 58 cm below the danger mark.”
Jashimuddin, upazila agriculture officer, said 370 acres of land in Kirtankhola, Laxmipur, Chunai, Baiddarchar, Katkailer Kanda, Taktar, Monijan, Lebria, Hemnagar, Gangabadar, Nayakhal, Bagani,Boilong and Dakatkhali haor area has been inundated, creating panic among the upazila’s boro farmers.
Many farmers are trying their best to harvest their boro paddy before it matures, in order to cut down on their losses.
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Sujon Mia and Anwar Hossain, two farmers of Puranhati and Laxmipur villages in the upazila, said normally they would give it another 10-15 days to harvest the paddy, but they became
helpless and went for early harvest –in which case their immature paddy would be used as fodder.
On a positive note, Engineer Soikat said there is no report of damage along the 183-km embankment in the haor area, and they are trying to reinforce it by dumping bamboo and GO bags.
In Sunamganj, the residents of Shantiganj upazila have been spending sleepless nights to protect the Shaldia Haor flood protection embankment since a crack was discovered on the surface.
The water level of Surma has touched its danger level, and the water level of all the rivers including the Jadukata, Rokti, Boulai, Patlai, Naljur, Kalni, Chalti, Dharain and Chela, has increased due to the sudden onrush of hill water.
The crop lands in Tahirpur upazila in the district are the worst-affected, as the flood control embankment for the Tanguar haor collapsed.
Crop fields in Choto Kanlar Haor of Sadar upazila and Manuarkhola haor in Shalla upazila are also submerged for the same reasons as above.
On the other hand, 25,000 hectares of boro paddy are at risk of inundation as a crack developed on the protection embankment at Karchar Haor in Bishambharpur upazila on Tuesday morning.
Bishambharpur Upazila Nirbahi Officer Sadi Ur Rahim Zahid said they are trying their best to protect the crops.
Deputy Commissioner Jahangir Hossain said this year, a 530-km long levee has been built, and it is difficult for the Water Development Board to protect such a long embankment. As such, he sought help from all stakeholders in taking steps to protect the dam.
According to Sunamganj office of the Department of Agriculture Extension, some 222,805 (2 lakh 22 thousand 805) hectares of land have been brought under boro cultivation and they set a target to produce boro paddy worth Tk 3,200 crore.
In Sylhet, farmers of Companiganj upazila are a worried lot, as their paddy fields too lie submerged, following the sudden onrush of waters in the last two days.
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Some 400 bighas of cropland are already under water in Companiganj, according to the upazila agriculture department. And the worst hit areas are Fuksha Haor, Bhai Kuri, Moter Kuri, Dewar Kar, Kapna Kuri, Daila Haor, Akhai Kuri, Kanglaghati and Daram Haor of the upazila's South Ranikhai Union.
Deputy assistant agriculture officer Pankaj said that although only 50 bighas of paddy land in Ichakals union is under water, the Patharchauli Haor protection dam is liable to be breached at any moment. "A disaster is waiting to happen," he told UNB.
Alamgir Alam, chairman of East Islampur union parishad, said that with the help of locals, a dam was built in Rauti Haor. However, the dam breached in strong currents, submerging paddy fields, Alamgir added.
Raihan Parvez Rony, upazila agriculture officer, said, If the flow of hill water continues, all the boro crops in the upazila will be damaged.
Boro has been cultivated across 5,850 hectares of land in the upazila this year, said the officer.
Fakhrul Ahmed, deputy assistant engineer of the Sylhet Water Development Board, said that an 8.561 km-long crop protection dam has been constructed at Haor area in Companiganj. And yet he adds: “Although the dam is strong enough, it will be difficult to protect the area’s crops in case of an overflow.
Upazila nirbahi officer Lusikanta Hajong said the low-lying areas were flooded by the sudden onrush of hill water. However, our crop protection dams are still in the safe zone. A list of affected farmers is being prepared.