Flash flood damages Tk 1,300cr boro paddy in greater Sylhet
Boro paddy on about 1.36 lakh hectares of land in greater Sylhet region has been damaged due to early flooding caused by onrush of water from hill areas across the border.
Sylhet divisional office of the Department of Agriculture Extension (DAE) has estimated the loss at around 7, 30,000 tonnes of paddy worth Tk over 1,264 crore. However, the farmers claimed they have lost about 10 lakh tonnes of paddy worth Tk 1,700 crore.
The agriculture officials said flash floods caused damage to boro crop on 1.36 lakh hectares of land, affecting 3 lakh farmers in the region.
DAE office sources said boro was cultivated on 4.27 lakh hectares of land in four districts of Sylhet region this year. Of the total land, crops on 1.36 lakh hectares were damaged.
They said breaches developed in haor protection embankments due to heavy rain and onrush of water from upstream. The farmers were compelled to cut unripe boro from their submerged croplands.
According to a report prepared by the agriculture officials, Out of 75,800 hectares of crop land in Sylhet district, boro paddy on 40,700 hectares went under water. The loss has been estimated at 28,500 tonnes worth Tk 71.22 crore.
In Moulvibazar, of the total 49,150 hectares of boro land, 6700 hectares have been submerged by floodwater, causing damage to 36,000 tonnes of paddy worth Tk 61.28 crore.
Boro paddy on 580 lakh hectares of land out of 1.09 hectares in Habiganj district has been damaged. The loss has been estimated at 2,967 tonnes of paddy worth Tk 5.04 crore.
The worst affected Sunamganj district has lost crops on 1,17,475 hectares of land out of the total 1,93,000 hectares. The DEA officials estimated the loss around 6.63 lakh tonnes of paddy worth Tk 1,127 crore.
In a meeting recently, the ruling party lawmakers and upazila chairmen of Sunamganj district held Water Development officials responsible for not taking necessary steps to protect the embankments in haor areas. They appealed to the prime minister to take actions against the persons responsible.
Visiting the badly affected Sunamganj district in the last week of April, Food Minister Abdur Razzaque said crop loss in the affected area of greater Sylhet would be around 90 percent.
The government would take up a special programme to help the affected farmers in the Sylhet region, he said.
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