Special Correspondent :
Water level in some rivers like Teesta, Jamuna, Karatoya, Baral and Hurasagar has increased due to heavy rains in the upstream region of India.
As a result, the fields of various crops including Boro paddy, pepper, onion-garlic, almond and sweet pumpkin have been submerged. Farmers in the char areas have suffered huge losses as these emerging crops have gone under water.
The chars that arose in the Teesta and Jamuna have been inundated in this untimely water.
In Sirajganj, low lying crops are being submerged due to rising river Jamuna. Over the last few days, the water level in Karatoya, Baral and Hurasagar rivers including Jamuna has been rising due to untimely water that coming down from the upper stream of India.
About 700 bighas of lowland boro paddy along the river bank has been submerged.
On the other hand, the chars that arose in the Teesta have been submerged in this untimely water in the vast pastures of Gangachara and Kaunia upazilas of Rangpur.
Raw and semi-ripe paddy of low lands in the char areas of Sirajganj Sadar, Kazipur, Shahjadpur and Chowhali upazilas have been submerged due to sudden rise of Jamuna water. Many farmers are cutting raw paddy and feeding it to cows. Many are trying to get some rice by threshing half-ripe paddy again.
Asfauddaula, Executive Engineer of the Dalia Water Development Board, said 15 gates of the Teesta Barrage were opened due to rising water levels.
As a result, the chars in the downstream area are under water. However, the water is below the danger level. Noting that the water has started receding, he said that the sudden increase in water has damaged some crops cultivated in the Teesta.
Obaidur Rahman Mandal, Deputy Director of the Rangpur Department of
Agricultural Extension, said the crops planted on the chars have been submerged due to rising water levels in the Teesta. There are fears of damage to several crops. However, the extent of the damage has not yet been determined.
Iqbal Hossain, a farmer from Chuniakhalipara village of Sirajganj, said that the water level in the Jamuna river usually starts rising towards the end of the Bengali month of Jaisthya. “But at the beginning of the month of Chaitra this year, the river water suddenly increased. As a result, our Boro paddy has been submerged in flood water which meet supposed to our half-year food demand. Now, we are in a great problem of food security,” he said.
Sirajganj Water Development Board’s official Abdul Latif said the water level in the Jamuna has been rising for the past two weeks due to the upstream water that coming down from the upper riparian country. In the last 24 hours, the water level in Sirajganj town Raksha Dam point of Jamuna river has increased by 60 cm, he added.
Sirajganj Agriculture Extension Department Deputy Director (Acting) AJM Ahsan Shahid Sarkar said about 700 bighas of boro paddy in four riverine upazilas of the district have been gone under water due to sudden rise of water in the river Jamuna.
