Continuous rainfall over the last three days, a remnant of Cyclone 'Mantha' from the Bay of Bengal, has caused extensive damage to the standing Aman rice crop in the district, while simultaneously bringing an early onset of winter and providing a boon for tea cultivation.
The heavy downpour, which began on October 29, has submerged paddy fields across the district's five upazilas, threatening the financial security of countless farmers.
Abdul Latif, a farmer from Magura village in Tentulia Upazila, reported a dire situation. "Fifty percent of my aman paddy field has been submerged in the three-day rain," he said. "Due to the accumulation of water, seedlings have sprouted again on some paddy ears. This will cause me a significant financial loss."
Agricultural Department Assesses Damage
Agriculturist Abdul Matin, Deputy Director of the Panchagarh District Agriculture Extension Department, confirmed the widespread impact. He stated that while ripe paddy may be spared, the damage is severe for crops that have not yet fully emerged.
"The paddy ears that have not yet emerged will be damaged," Matin said. In response, the Agriculture Department is advising affected farmers to tie 3 to 4 paddy plants together to help them stand. For other submerged crops like ginger, onion, garlic, radish, and cabbage, farmers are being instructed to drain the water and spray fungicides to prevent rot.
A Silver Lining for Tea, Early Winter Sets In
Despite the damage to rice and other crops, the unseasonal rains have been a blessing for tea growers in the plains, providing much-needed hydration for the bushes.
The persistent rains have also ushered in an early winter for Panchagarh, often referred to as the 'daughter of the Himalayas'. Jitendranath Roy, officer-in-charge of the Tentulia Upazila 1st Class Meteorological Observatory, provided concrete data, noting a recorded minimum temperature of 20.7 degrees Celsius on Saturday.
Roy confirmed the intensity of the rainfall, with 162 millimeters recorded in the last 24 hours and a total of 183.4 millimeters from October 30 to November 1. He also predicted that light to moderate rainfall may continue in Panchagarh for another day or two, prolonging the unseasonably chilly and wet conditions.
