100 acres cropland flooded after collapse of embankment

Nilphamari Correspondent :

More than 100 acres of cropland have been submerged after the left bank embankment of the Dinajpur Canal collapsed in Singdoi village of Itakhola Union under Nilphamari Sadar upazila. The incident occurred on Monday afternoon when at least a 20-foot section of the canal embankment gave way.

As a result of the breach, standing crops including mustard, Boro rice seedlings, maize, potatoes, and other Rabi season crops have been severely damaged, causing widespread concern and anger among local farmers.

Affected farmers said they had already begun transplanting seedlings and irrigation activities after receiving water for the ongoing Boro season. However, the sudden embankment collapse allowed excessive water to flood their fields, destroying crops and exposing them to significant financial losses.

In protest and demanding immediate compensation, the affected farmers blocked the Nilphamari-Panchapukur road, disrupting vehicular movement for a time.

Responding to the incident, Atiqur Rahman, Executive Engineer of the Nilphamari office of the Bangladesh Water Development Board (BWDB), said, “The collapse may have occurred due to rat holes in the embankment. The matter is being taken seriously. Efforts are underway to repair the embankment quickly and resume irrigation activities.”

He added that although a section of the Dinajpur Canal has been damaged, irrigation operations under the Rangpur and Bogura canals are continuing normally.

It is worth noting that under the Teesta Irrigation Project, irrigation activities are currently being carried out during the ongoing Kharif-1 season over 37,300 hectares in Nilphamari, 12,500 hectares in Rangpur, and 7,200 hectares in Dinajpur districts.