Although the water receded a little in the haor area of
Sunamganj district, the weeping of the cropless farmers did not stop. They
have lost their food all year round and become helpless. Newly harvested
well-to-do households are now worried about where to go and who to turn to.
Such a sad picture is now in the houses of the farmers of Chapati Haor of Dirai
in Sunamganj district, Tanguar Haor of Tahirpur, Haor of Eralia, Kangla Haor of
Sunamganj Sadar.
Planning Minister MA Mannan on Saturday (April 09, 2022) visited several haor and dam areas in different upazilas of the district and said the government is on the side of the affected farmers. He urged all to be vigilant in dealing with the situation with patience. Assuring all kinds of cooperation in protecting the crops of the haor from the onslaught of floods in advance, the Minister said that no irregularities will be tolerated in the construction of embankments to protect the haor. If evidence is found in the investigation, strict action will be taken as per rules.
Last week, haor protection dams in Sylhet and Sunamganj collapsed causing severe damage to Boro crops. Boro crops of 4,900 hectares of land in Sunamganj district alone were submerged due to the pressure of flood water. According to the Department of Agriculture, there has been a crop loss of Tk 50 crore.
In the ensuing situation, helpless farmers were seen collecting raw immature paddy from the sunken villages of several haors in several upazilas including Dirai. Baishakhi Boro Paddy is the main crop of this region. Farmers dream about it all year round. But all their dreams have been washed away by the slope of the hill. However, the big haors are at risk but still unprotected.
Meanwhile, heavy rains are expected in the Indian states of Assam and Meghalaya in the next two days. Because paddy has 15 more days left to ripen.
The government's Flood Forecast and Warning Center said it was still raining intermittently in various parts of Sylhet division. Rain may increase in the next few days. Locals say that if the water level of rivers rises rapidly, weak dams will break and water may enter the haor and submerge the Boro paddy fields.
Shahidul Islam, Additional Chief Engineer, North East of Water Development Board, while inspecting the dam in Haor area of Tahirpur yesterday, told that the leave of officers and employees of all levels of Water Development Board of the district has been canceled to maintain Haor Protection Dam. They are guarding the dam day and night.
According to the Sunamganj Department of Agricultural Extension, in the last few days, water has entered the crops of three and a half thousand hectares of land in the haor.
In this regard, Bimal Chandra, deputy director in charge of the district, said that if the dams are not repaired quickly, the damage could increase. Arifuzzaman Bhuiyan, executive engineer of the Flood Forecasting and Warning Center, said heavy rains could cause disasters at any time.
|Source: Online/SZK
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