Fire destroys Tk 7 cr betel on 300 bighas of land in Kushtia

Fire destroyed around 700 betel leaf gardens on 300 bighas of land at Fakirabad, Baggaripur, Bahadurpur, Parankhali and Jamalpur areas in Kushtia's Bheramara upazila on Tuesday evening.

The total damage caused by the fire, affecting around 300 farmers, could be as much as Tk 7 crore.

Fires set by some farmers to burn off the remains after harvesting spread to adjacent betel plantations due to the wind, said betel leaf farmer Aksed Ali, who has 200 betel leaf gardens in Parankhali.

"Fire fighters from Bheramara upazila rushed to the spot, but the fire was too widespread to be doused with our limited equipment and insufficient water," said Mozaharul Islam, Station Officer of Bheramara Fire Station.

The firefighters were helped by farmers who supplied water from shallow and deep tube-wells.

Aminul Islam, general secretary of Bheramara Upazila Betel Leaf Farmers' Association, said most of the betel leaf farmers took loans from local branches of Krishi Bank and other sources to cultivate betel leaf.

Megha Pramanik, a farmer who lost betel leaves grown on four bighas of land, said he had started to sell the leaves recently. "Now I am ruined. I lost all my capital," he said.

A number of other farmers who leased land also incurred huge losses.

"I leased five bighas of land with an advanced payment of Tk 24,000. I lost everything," said Kheder Ali of Jhenidah.

Farmers Shamsul Ali, Moazzem Hossain and Karim Sheikh said they are worried about repaying their loans and maintaining their families after losing their betel leaf gardens.

Aminul Islam urged the authorities concerned, including the district administration, to help the farmers.