The Bangladesh Post on Wednesday published a photo where farmers of Sunamganj district are seen harvesting half-ripe Boro paddy as the land has been submerged due to onrush of hilly waters. It is the real fear that is causing grave concern to us as we see farmers trying to salvage crops from the submerged field and have been forced to harvest half-ripe paddy from the adjacent land fearing further increase in the water level.
According to the officials of Department of Agricultural Extension, 130 acres of land were inundated in the Dekhar haor of Sunamganj district. Farmers fear that a vast area of cropland might go under-water if water level continues to rise. So, this time it will be difficult to recover the production cost as farmers are compelled to harvest the paddy before it ripens. Farmers of Sunamganj Haor region are living in fear of their paddy washed away by the upstream hilly water. If rain occurs there, the situation may aggravate in the coming days.
Therefore, it is feared that thousands of acres of cropland in the district might be inundated further. According to farmers, vast tract of farmland in the haor could soon be inundated if steps are not taken by the authorities concerned at the earliest.
Farmers fear that a vast area of
cropland might go under-water
if water level continues to rise
Farmers cultivated paddy after taking a loan. But now all their hard work has been washed away. They (farmers) blamed the authorities concerned for their negligent attitude. The haor people mainly dependent on Boro crops, feel worried about protecting their paddy from flash floods. The flash flood destroys boro crops especially in seven haor districts of Kishoreganj, Netrakona, Sunamganj, Moulvibazar, Habiganj, Sylhet and Brahmanbaria every year. Therefore, the farmers of these areas are the worst sufferers as flash flood pushes them into extreme poverty every year. These areas experience flash floods due to untimely incessant rain and an onrush of water from the upstream every year.
Crops, especially boro paddy, on vast areas are either damaged or washed during April and May. Since the late spring, panic starts gripping the people as they fear flash flood breaching the risky embankment can leave their region a trail of devastation anytime.
Apart from damaging crops, people living there may also face serious difficulties due to flash flood like in the past. The onrush of upstream waters coupled with moderate to downpours also breach embankments submerging the habitats.
Keeping the devastation caused by the flash flood in mind, the government must take all-out measures to face the catastrophe.