Continuous rainfall and the breach of an embankment of Betna River have resulted in an estimated Tk700 crore worth of damage to Satkhira’s fisheries and agricultural sectors.
A total of 6,000 fish enclosures and 1,500 ponds were swept away. Fields of Aman, Aush paddy, and various vegetables have been submerged.
According to agriculture department, 5,452 hectares of land have been affected due to the incessant rain for the last few days during the current Aman season. Among them, crops of 149 hectares of land were completely damaged.
It was known that huge area was flooded due to the breach of an embankment of Betna River in Binerpota area for the torrential rain. So, a total of 40 to 50 villages of three unions of two upazilas have been inundated. Fishes of enclosures and ponds washed away. The crops of the lands were also damaged.
As of Wednesday evening, the Water Development Board had yet to repair the breached embankment, and water continued to flood the area. People of 50 villages, including Binerpota, Khejurdanga, Gopinathpur, Taltola, Ahsannagar, Harinkhola, Goalpata, Gachha, Dakkhin Nagarhata, Hajratala, Palpara, Gabtala, Dloua, Nagarghata, Rothkhola, Kapshadanga and Nimtola, were marooned. Many people left their houses and moved to safe shelters as water entered into their houses.
Besides, many villages of Sadar upazila and half of the area of the municipality area were waterlogged as the rainwater could not be drained. Around 20 to 25 thousand families were marooned and crops and fishes of the areas were severely damaged.
Fish farmers of Binerpata under Sadar upzila, Sabuj, Kamrul and Kobiraj, said we have three enclosures on 180 Bighas of land. There were white fishes and ducks in those. The enclosures were swept away. Moreover, ducks worth Tk 1 crore went missing due to the rain and Betna river erosion. We faced a total of Tk 2.5 crore due to the river erosion.
Farmers of Baluigachha under Dhulihar union of Sadar Upazila, Chandan, Tohid and Kader said we have cultivated paddy on 16 Bighas of land. All our crops went under water. We have spent around Tk 1.5 lakh. The crops were inundated and damaged. If the water does not recede quickly, the situation won’t be improved.
Habibur Rahman, Mamun, Bipul, Salauddin and Nazmul Huda of Matiadanga said shrimp and other fishes are cultivated in 12 to 13 thousand Bighas of land on our entire Beel. All the enclosures will go under water if such torrential rain continues. There is no drainage system for the rain water. We are in danger. We are drawing attention of the district administration so that they can take any initiative for the drainage of the rain water before our enclosures go under water.
Satkhira Department of Agricultural Extension deputy director Saiful Islam said 5,452 hectares of land have been affected due to the excessive rain during the Aman season. Of this, 149 hectares of crops have been destroyed, with estimated losses exceeding Tk 9 crore. More damage may occur if the waterlogging problem is not addressed.
Satkhira District Fisheries Officer Md Anisur Rahman said excessive rain, especially in Shyamnagar and Satkhira Sadar, caused parts of the Bhetna River embankment to collapse, flooding nearby fish enclosures. 5,230 hectares of land of this area were damaged.
As a result, the fish farmers faced a loss of Tk 600 crore. The amount of infrastructural loss is more than Tk 4 crore. Easy-term loan or incentives may help the farmers to recover the loss.
