Flash flood in 4 districts
Boro plants on vast areas submerged
Boro plants in a vast area of land in Gaibandha district go under water following flash flood due to sudden rise in Jamuna water level yesterday.Photo: STAR
Flash floods in Kishoreganj, Sunamganj, Gaibandha and Netrokona districts submerged boro plants on around four thousand hectares in the last few days. A correspondent from Kishoreganj reports: Boro plants on more than 800 hectares were submerged by flood waters in last two days at Itna, Mithamoin and Karimganj upazilas. Thousands of men and women in haor (water body) areas are trying to protect their prospective boro crops from the onrush of hill waters from across the border. Kamrul Ahsan Shahjahan, upazila chairman of Mithamoin said the situation may worsen further as hill waters have overflooded Mithamoin Daria river. "Although we are under threat, locals are still trying to protect the boro plants by putting soil barricade on the river bank", he said. Already a big area has gone under flash flood. The most affected areas are Keuarjur, Dhaki, Atpasha and Mamudpur, he added. Aminul Islam Ratan, upazila chairman of Itna said at least 300 hectares of boro plants were flooded in the upazila. The affected areas are Joisiddi, Alongjuri and Miriga. In Sunamganj, boro plants on 3,000 hectares in Kanglar haor went under water due to heavy rains and onrush of water from hill areas according to UNB. Water Development Board (WDB) sources said water entered the haor on Thursday and Friday through different points of the Surma River as water level of the river rose sharply due to onrush of hill waters. A total of 283,142 hectares of land have been brought under boro cultivation in the district this season, Department of Agriculture Extension sources said. Farmers apprehended that they might not be able to harvest the crop as hill water rolled down their paddy fields. They said re-excavation of the silted Surma River is a must to save their crops from the flash flood. Our Correspondent in Gaibandha adds: Boro plants on vast areas submerged yesterday in four Gaibandha upazilas along Jamuna basin due to sudden increase in water level of the river. Onrush of water from upper catchments flooded low-lying areas in Jamuna basin by two to three feet damaging the prospective crops. Farmers cultivated boro and other crops on shoal areas of Kamajani, Belka, Moller Char, Golna, Baje Fulchhari, Kamarpara, Bhajandanga, Uriya and Ratanpur. Due to flash flood, the farmers have to cut down submerged boro plants to use those as fodder for the cattle. Farmer Barun Chandra of village Nilkuthi said water level of Jamuna increased almost surprisingly causing flash flood and huge financial loss to the peasants. Our Correspondent in Netrakona reports: Flood situation further deteriorated in the district yesterday as boro plants on 15 more hectares went under water at Mohonganj and Khaliajuri upazilas. Four more flood protection embankments -- Kirtonkhola, Jalkhli and Laxmipasha in Khaliajuri upazila and Jainpur in Mohonganj upazila were damaged by flood water yesterday morning, administration sources said. The newly affected areas are Dubail haor, Sonartal haor and Jainpur haor in Mohonganj upazila, Kirtonkhola haor, Laxmipasha haor, Pangashia haor, Kotichapra haor and Sonatola haor in Khaliajuri upazila. The water level of the river Dhanu registered sharp rise and flowing over danger level, Netrakona WDB sources said. Harun-ur-Rashid, executive engineer of Netrakona WDB, told this correspondent that 6 out of 14 flood protection embankments in Khaliajuri and Mohonganj have been damaged by flood waters. The rest eight embankments are threatened and likely to collapse any time, he said.
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