Storms lash two districts, damage boro, houses
A tin-roofed house blown away by nor'wester at Dhandi village in Baufal upazila of Patuakhali district and a damaged boro field in Sundarganj upazila of Gaibandha district on Monday.Photo: STAR
Storms hit Patuakhali and Gaibandha districts, damaging several hundred houses and boro plants on vast tracts of land yesterday and the day before. Over 300 dwelling houses, and boro plants on vast areas were damaged as a nor'wester lashed at least 15 villages under Baufal upazila of Patuakhali on Monday evening, reports our correspondent. The three-hour-long storm from 4pm to 7pm hit Char Barret, Char Miazan, Char Roy Saheb, Dhandi, Nimdee, Nazirpur, Nurainpur, Bara Dalima, Chhoto Dalima, Keshobpur, Mominpur, Dashpara, Khajurbaria, Kalaiya, Bogi and several other villages. According to a primary estimate, about 900 poultry at two poultry firms, one owned by Rokeya Begum and another by Al-Alafa, were also killed during the storm. Besides boro plants, huge watermelon, maize, chilli, pulse were also damaged as rainwater flooded the crop fields. In Gaibandha, a nor'wester accompanied with gusty wind and heavy shower damaged boro plants on vast tracts of land in Sundarganj upazila yesterday, reports our correspondent. The storm lashed seven unions of the upazila and destroyed a large portion of BR-28, BR-41, China and Chandina varieties of boro paddy. "I cultivated boro plants on two bighas on share cropping basis. I won't get anything from the landowner now as all the plants have been razed to the ground due to torrential rain and wind," said Abdur Rahim, a landless peasant of Kapasia union. Due to storms, production may be reduced by 30 percent. However, mild storms and gusty winds will not affect the paddy plants much if the farmers use standard dose of MP fertiliser, said Aftab Hossain, upazila Agriculture Officer in Sundarganj.
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