Depression crosses Ctg coast

Heavy rain took toll on crops in coastal areas, including Chittagong, Patuakhali, Bhola and Barguna, as a deep depression, which had formed over the Bay of Bengal, crossed Chittagong coast near Sitakunda yesterday noon after it became weak.

According to an official of Met office, light to moderate rain or thunder showers accompanied by temporary gusty wind is likely to occur at many places in Chittagong and Sylhet divisions and the rest parts of the country may remain dry today.

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Our Chittagong correspondent reports, crops of over 9,000 hectares of land were affected by the heavy rain due to the deep depression.

Aminul Huq Chowdhury, deputy director of Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE) in Chittagong, said of the affected fields, 6,200 hectares are of aman paddy, 1,400 hectares of vegetable and 1,620 hectares of khesari (one kind of pulse).

The actual extent of the damage could be known after a complete survey which might take two days, said the DAE official.

Biswajit Roy, duty forecasting officer of Patenga meteorological office, said around 76 millimetres of rainfall were recorded in the previous 24 hours till 12:00 noon yesterday. 

He said the coastal upazilas -- Sandwip, Sitakunda, Banshkhali, Anwara, Patiya and Mirsharai -- were the most affected areas in Chittagong.

Zia Ahmed Sumon, Mirsharai upazila nirbahi officer (UNO), said around 121.5 hectares of aman fields and around 8.1 hectares of vegetable fields were affected in the upazila.

Sitakunda UNO Najmul Islam Bhuiyan said around 300 hectares of paddy were damaged in the area.

Our Patuakhali correspondent adds, heavy rain badly damaged aman paddy of over 67,000 hectares in three coastal districts -- Patuakhali, Barguna and Bhola. Paddy of around 90,000 hectares was affected in all six districts, including the three, in Barisal division.

Of the affected paddy fields, around 32,000 out of 2,10,340 hectares are in Patuakhali, over 20,000 out of 1,83,065 hectares in Bhola and 15,000 out of 99,850 hectares in Barguna, said DAE sources.  

Nazrul Islam Matubbor, deputy director of Patuakhali DAE, said around 2,10,340 hectares had been brought under aman cultivation in the district this year and about 16 percent of the paddy was damaged.