“I can’t bear the smell of rotten rice anymore, I floated it in water”
Photo Collected
Zahirul Islam, a farmer of Manikpur Haor of Karimganj Upazila of Kishoreganj, after threshing 350 maunds of paddy, piled it in the field to dry in the sun a week ago. The paddy is like that due to continuous rain for seven days. Seedlings have already sprouted from the piled rice. On Friday, the stench of rotting rice spread. Without seeing any way, today he floated those paddy in Haor rain water.
Tamiz Uddin, another farmer of Manikpur Haor, also shared the same grief. He said, after threshing, he left 70 sacks of paddy in the field. Unable to dry, the rice has rotted. They floated the rice with sacks in the Haor water.
বিজ্ঞাপন
It is known that 9 thousand 45 hectares of boro paddy land has been submerged in water due to continuous rains and upstream floods in Kishoreganj along with the rise of river water. At least 30,000 farmers of Haor area are in trouble. Apart from this, due to continuous rain for a week, the harvested paddy of the farmer and the threshed paddy which was piled up for drying, are also emitting a rotten smell. Many farmers are now throwing the sprouted paddy into the Haor water. On the other hand, the paddy which was cut from the land with daily labor of 1 thousand 200 to 1 thousand 300 taka and which was piled in the field or other place, has also been destroyed. Many farmers are offering nayan vaga (cutting as much paddy as they like as far as the eye can see) without paying the high cost of labor and harvester machines.
10 kani (1 kani in 31 percent) of farmer Kala Mia’s land in Majlishpur area of Nikli has been submerged in rainwater. However, he hastily cut half-ripe rice of six kani land last Sunday with the help of laborers. That paddy was piled up. Although there was some sunshine on Thursday, the paddy remained as it was due to the lack of threshing machines. He thought, maybe the sun will rise again. Then thresh and dry in the sun. But there was no sun all day on Friday. It is raining heavily since Saturday morning. Farmer Kala Mia showed the paddy and said, ‘I could not save the paddy by cutting it. The piled paddy is spoiled and turned black. I thought I would cut some more floating paddy today, but I can’t get the workers even after paying 1,200 taka. We are in big danger with rice.
বিজ্ঞাপন
Zahir Mia, a farmer of Manikpur area of Karimganj, said, “I cut more than one acre of paddy worth Tk 1,300 per day. Kamla and everyone in the family worked together with great difficulty to collect rice from Komarpani. After threshing, I kept the paddy on the edge of the land to dry. The paddy which has been kept for a week is now smelling rotten. Many rice plants have sprouted. These paddies have now become a thorn in the neck. Even though it is difficult, the paddy has to be floated in the Haor water.
Kamal Hossain, a farmer of Dhaka area of Mithamin, said, “During the last seven days of rain and torrential water, my paddy of more than five acres of land has been submerged. Still floating about half a foot. But due to severe labor shortage, it is not possible to cut that paddy. Ripe paddy is sinking before the eyes. Therefore, I have announced that anyone who wants to share his eyes should cut the paddy and take it away.
Executive Engineer of Kishoreganj Water Development Board (PUBO). Sajjad Hossain said that the water level of the river has increased slightly in the district. But it is below the danger limit. Dhanu-Boulai river in Itna, Magra river in Karimganj’s leather port area, Kalni river in Ashtagram and Meghna river in Bhairab have increased by 5 to 15 cm today compared to yesterday. Farmers are cutting dams on their own initiative to drain the accumulated rainwater in some areas.
Mohammad Sadiqur Rahman, deputy director of the district agriculture extension department, said that it has been raining since Saturday morning. Due to which the water of rivers and streams is increasing. According to the field level report till five o’clock this Saturday afternoon, 9 thousand 45 hectares of paddy land in some areas including Itna, Mithamain, Ashtagram, Nikli of the district have been submerged in water. Approximately 30,000 farmers may be affected.
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