Flood-hit people in distress

The now receding floods have left a trail of devastation, causing extensive damage to standing crops and rural communication system in different districts.

Our Kurigram correspondent reports: Crops on 7,123 hectares of land were damaged by the recent flood, said sources of the district relief and rehabilitation department.

"I planted T-aman saplings on seven bighas of land but the flood has damaged all. Now I am thinking of advance cultivating of mustard and pulse on the same land," said Samsul Haque, 62, of Nimkursharpar village in Kurigram Sadar upazila.

Vegetable farmer Ashraful Haque, 30, of Sardarpara village of Pachgachhi union under Kurigram Sadar, said, "I cultivated potol on three bighas of land but I could sell only a portion of it in local markets as flood destroyed the rest. I got Tk 70 thousand from the vegetable sale although I spent around Tk one lakh to cultivate it."

Makbul Hossain, deputy director of the Department of Agriculture Extension (DAE) in Kurigram, said, "We are advising farmers to sow paddy seeds of local varieties in the land within 30 days. Besides, farmers could cultivate advance vegetable like potato, mustard, and pulses to recoup their loss."

Our Gaibandha correspondent reports: Roads and flood control embankments in different areas of the district lie in an awful state due to the floods.

With the recession of water, erosion has turned serious in different areas along Teesta and Jamuna rivers.

Within the last 24 hours over hundred people of Kamajani area in Giabandha Sadar upazila lost their homestead.            

During the last one week, around 450 families of Kuchkhali, Chandaneshwar and Khatiamari villages in Fulchhari upazila have lost their houses due to erosion by the Jamuna, said Jainul Abedin Jalal, chairman of Fazlupur union parishad in Fulchhari upazila.

People who were staying on flood shelters and embankments have started returning to their houses, mostly ravaged by floodwater. People are still using banana tree rafts and country boats to cross the breached points of roads and embankments.

Many points small bridges and culverts also collapsed due to strong current.

People of three unions remained isolated due to breaching of large portion of flood control embankment-cum-road at Tarapur in Sundarganj upazila.

The surging water washed away 300 metres of the flood control embankment at Singria in Fulchhari upazila and 250 metres of Sonail flood control embankment in Badiakhali union under Gaibandha Sadar upazila.

"We cannot carry goods to markets as roads are badly damaged," said Shariful, a small trader of Kamarpara village in Saghata upazila.

Our Barisal correspondent adds: Most of the betel gardens in Ujirpur Upazila of the district went under water nearby rivers overflowed due to heavy rain and tidal surges.

Most of the betel plantations in Shikarpur, Guthia and Sholak unions under the upazila got damaged.

If waterlogging continues one week more, the betel gardens will be fully destroyed, said Abul Kalam Molla, chairman of Shikarpur union parishad.

"I have raised three betel gardens but those have been badly affected by heavy rain and tidal surge.  Most of the gardens have collapsed and the roots of plants are rotting," said Manoranjan Mitra, a farmer of Shikarpur village in Ujirpur upazila.

Jamal Molla, a farmer of Guthia village in the same upazila, said most of the betel fields are damaged by water from the overflowing Sandhya River.

"The government should sanction loan to help us as recoup the huge loss this year," he said.

Ramendra Nath Mandal, DAE deputy director of Barisal, said betel plantations on 310 hectares of land out of 2353 hectares in the district have already been badly affected by waterlogging.