Extensive Crops Damage: Boro paddy submerged due to heavy rain in Sunamganj
Two crop protection dams in Madhyanagar and Sadar upazilas have collapsed under intense water pressures as Sunamganj has recorded the highest rainfall of the season, causing significant crop damage.
The district recorded with 137 millimeters rainfall in the last 24 hours. Water levels in the district’s haors and rivers have risen abnormally due to upstream hill floods.
According to sources from the Agriculture Department and the Water Development Board on Tuesday the water level of the Surma River has risen by 35 centimeters over the past 24 hours.
Water is entering through breaches in the Ikrachai Haor embankment and the Gujauni dam in Deran Haor, located in Chandalipara village of Banshikunda Dakshin Union under Madhyanagar upazila.
Although these dams are not under the jurisdiction of the Water Development Board, they had previously been repaired by local residents.
In addition, thousands of hectares of crops are at extreme risk due to the overflow of the Hariman dam in Karchar Haor under Bishwambharpur upazila. According to the District Agricultural Extension Department, Boro paddy has been cultivated on 223,511 hectares of land in the district this season. So far, only 44 percent of the paddy has been harvested, leaving 56 percent still in the fields.
Continuous heavy rainfall, lightning, and a shortage of harvesting equipment have created deep uncertainty around the remaining harvest. In many areas, harvested paddy left in the fields has also been washed away by rainwater.
Speaking to the New Nation, Executive Engineer of the Water Development Board, Mamun Howlader, said that continuous rainfall has weakened the earthen dams.
Very heavy rainfall is forecast in Sunamganj and Cherrapunji, India, over the next two days, which may further worsen the situation.
Deputy Commissioner Mohammad Minhazur Rahman has instructed authorities to deploy guards at vulnerable dams to protect crops across the district in case of further emergencies.
