Paddy and vegetables of several hundreds of acres of low-lying areas under Pabna Irrigation Project and Palli Unnayan Project of Bera upazila have been badly damaged due to waterlogging caused by three days of torrential rain aftermath of Cyclone Amphan.
The sufferings of the farmers of the area have been increased as they are finding it hard to reap paddy and to harvest various vegetables like Patol, Green Chilli, Jhinga, bitter gourd, green vegetables, jute and Aman Paddy from inside water.
According to sources, a sluice gate near Koitola union under Bera upazila was constructed near Jamuna river to extract water under Pabna Irrigation Project.
Local people opined, due to an increase of water in the river Jamuna, water from the river entered into the field and with the accumulated rainwater, waterlogging has been created inundating crop and vegetable fields. The farmers complained, due to fault at the shutters of the sluice gates, such waterlogging has been created.
It is alleged, waterlogging is created due to excessive rainfall every year in the area but due to non extraction of accumulated water by using pumping machine at Koitola . crops and vegetables of the low lying areas have been inundated and threatened to be damaged.
Water Development Boar authorities in Bera, however, informed the construction of another sluice gate at Sujanagar upazila is continuing and after completion of the work, there will be no more waterlogging in
the area.