“The farmers’ paddy is dying in front of their eyes, there is nothing to do”

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Netrakona has received 132 mm of rain in the last 24 hours. The highest rainfall of the season occurred in the district from 9 am yesterday Tuesday to 9 am today Wednesday. Rain and hill runoff are causing the water to flow 85 cm above the water line at the Jaria point of the river Kansa. The latitude at that point is 7.17 meters. District Water Development Board (PUBO) informed this information around 10:30 this morning.

Meanwhile, due to the continuous rain, the water is rising and the ripe Boro paddy is sinking in front of the eyes of the farmers. Water has reached several crop protection dams. But the dam has not yet broken.

According to local farmers, agriculture department, poubo and upazila administration sources, it has been raining intermittently for a week in Netrakona. In this, the water of all the rivers including Kansa, Dhanu, Udakhali, Someswari, Magra, Bhugai started to rise. But it continued to rain heavily from 10:00 pm yesterday till 11:00 am today. In this, the water is flowing 85 cm above the flood line at the Jaria point of the river Kansa. Apart from this, at Khaliajuri point of river Dhanu, water is flowing 29 cm below the boundary line. The latitude at that point is 4.15 meters. Around 9 am there was a flow of 3.86 meters.

Boro paddy, the only crop in Khaliajuri, Mohanganj, Madan and Kalmakanda Haor of the district, is drowning due to hill slopes and rainwater. The local farmers are afraid of this. They fear that if the water rises like this, they will lose their crops due to untimely floods like in 2017. In Howar only 52 percent of paddy has been harvested for consumption. In case of crop loss, the income of the farmers will be affected for the whole year.

This time 41 thousand 65 hectares of Boro have been cultivated in Howar. Total paddy cultivation in the district is 1 lakh 85 thousand 547 hectares. The production target is 13 lakh 21 thousand 732 metric tons of rice. In the past few years, farmers have harvested paddy with harvester machines. Besides, the rice was harvested with the help of laborers. But this time, due to excessive rain, most of the rice fields are frozen, so the rice harvester cannot be operated there. And there is a labor shortage. Farmers are afraid to harvest paddy in the field due to thunder and rain. Five people lost their lives in Howar due to lightning in last one month. On the other hand, the ripe paddy is drowning in the heavy rain.

It has been found that Chayaar Haor of Khaliajuri, Baira Haor, Chunai Haor, Baidyar Char, Katkailerkanda, Nander Petna, Kirtankhala, Royal, Dingapota of Mohanganj, Govindashree of Madan, Vaipur, Kadamshree, Sonadubi of Kalmakanda, Goradoba, Angajura, Mahishashura, Medi, About one and a half thousand hectares of boro paddy has been submerged in the waters of several rivers including Telangana. Apart from this, most of the people have accumulated water above their knees.

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This morning, farmer Asadullah Riyad of Madan’s Kulihati village told Prothom Alo over the phone that five acres of his paddy fields have been submerged in the water in Swathipur Howar. The paddy of the field which is still floating, cannot be cut due to lack of workers. He said, ‘It has been raining with thunder since last night till now. 1400 teha I was fixing kamala by giving disease. But the workers do not go to eat for fear of lightning. All the farmers like me are losing their rice in front of their eyes, there is nothing to do.

Roman Mia of Jagannathpur in Khaliajuri said, “Dhun river water is rising. Water near various haors and barrages. All the rice goes to Duibba. There is still half a field of rice left to harvest. People are not available to harvest rice.

District Water Development Board Executive Engineer. Sakhawat Hossain said on Wednesday, “Rain water has accumulated in many areas. But still all the embankments are fine. Apart from the district, many places including Cherrapunji, Sylhet, Sunamganj are receiving heavy rains. The water may rise further and cause flooding. So the dam will be threatened. We are staying in the area with the upazila administration. We have all kinds of preparations to protect the crops.

Khaliajuri Agriculture Officer Delwar Hossain said that about 500 hectares of paddy fields have been submerged in water. Half of the paddy in the upazila is yet to be harvested.

Deputy Commissioner Khandaker Mushfiqur Rahman said, ‘We have asked the PIC committee members of the dam, local public representatives and farmers to be careful so that the farmers can reap the crops without any disturbance. Our UNOs are on the field. They are constantly being advised. Wherever Jio bags need to be dropped, they are kept ready.