<i>Desperate bid to recoup loss</i>
Farmers re-plant aman with recession of flood water in Lalmonirhat
A farmer of Mongolhat village in Lalmonirhat Sadar upazila takes aman plants to re-plant those in his crop field damaged by the recent flood.Photo: STAR
With recession of water in most flood affected areas of Teesta and Dharla basin areas, affected farmers in four upazilas of Lalmonirhat district are trying to overcome their loss through re-planting aman paddy on their damaged crop lands. The affected people, however, have asked for government relief as well as help in their recovery initiative to avert food crisis in the monga-prone area. "I have borrowed some aman plants from my father-in-law's house for re-planting it on my flood damaged field in Dharla River basin. I hope 60 to 70 percent loss will be overcome,” said Mohon Chandro Dash, 48, of Mogholhat village in Lalmonirhat Sadar upazila. Sitting beside his paddy field near Teesta River embankment at Gobordhan village yesterday morning, Akkas Mia, 55, a farmer of Gobordhan village under Aditmari upazila in Lalmonirhat was crying thinking about maintenance of his eight-member family as standing aman plants of his eight bighas of land were damaged in the recent flood. Moinuddin Miah, 50, another farmer of the same village, said, “After the Teesta devoured our eight bighas of land, I and three other members of my family had to depend on remaining two bigha land. But the recent flood damaged standing aman plants on the land. Now I am worried about our livelihood.” Several flood-hit farmers including Delowar Hossain, 45, Muslim Uddin, 40, Nirmol Chandro, 50, of Sindurna village in Hatibandha upazila under Lalmonirhat district said as aman paddy is one of their main crops and affected farmers in the area will face monga in the coming months if they do not get government help to overcome their loss by the flood. According to Department of Agriculture Extension AED in Lalmonirhat, 30 thousand farmers were affected and crops worth Tk 22 crore were damaged due to the recent flooding by Teesta and Dharla rivers. The Lalmonirhat Deputy Director of Department of Agriculture Extension Sarowar Hossain Khan said his office has sent a letter to the ministry concerned seeking aid for the affected farmers in the district. During visit to different flood hits areas in Lalmonirhat yesterday, this correspondent saw that most of the flood affected people are passing days amid sufferings due to scarcity of food as the are jobless now. They are in need of urgent relief. Lalmonirhat Deputy Commissioner Mokhlesar Rahman Sarker said the district administration has already distributed 55 tonnes of rice as relief material among the flood affected people in last one week and his office has sent letter to the ministry concerned seeking more relief for the affected people. Meanwhile, Teesta and Dharla rivers are now flowing below the danger marks.
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