Sylhet Correspondent.:
Standing Aus paddy and other summer crops worth Tk 170 million were damaged in two districts of Sylhet Division due to floods during the last four weeks.
official sources said. Tk 110 million in Sylhet and Tk 60 million in Sunamganj. However, the Moulvibazar and Habiganj districts suffered negligibly.
Deputy Director of DAE, Sylhet, Dr Mamunur Rashid said, about 4600 hectraes of land went inundated during the period in the districts of Sylhet and Sunamganj. The number of affected farmers in these districts is about 42,000 and over 18,000 respectively.
Of the total, standing Aus paddy on 1552 hecatres in Sylhet and 525 hectares in the district of Sunamganj were inundated while Transplant Aman seedbed on 1357 hecatres in Sylhet and 733 hecatres in Sunamganj were inundated and damaged. The other croplands include, broadcast Aman and winter vegetables, the official informed.
The affected areas in Sylhet include, Gowainghat, Jaintapur, Balaganj, Kanaight, Zakiganj Beanibazar and Golapganj upazilas.
In the district of Sunamganj, the badly affected areas are in Doarabazar, Biswambharpur and Sunamganj Sadar. The loss has preliminarily been estimated to be worth over Tk 60 million, the senior official informed further.
Meanwhile, the farmers have demanded immediate supply of seed of Transplanted Aman, fertiliser and fish fries and for taking up rehabilitation programme in a bid to recouping the huge loss.
Fodder crisis in Sylhet
Due to flooding in the Sylhet area covering six upazilas, livestock rearers are facing a crisis in finding feed for their stock. Yet water flow from the hills and continuing rainfall is further raising the level of the haor and submerging greater portions of pasture across the affected Jakiganj, Companiganj, Guainghat Fenchuganj and Osmaninagar upazilas in Sylhet.
Mafur Ali from Chandpur village in Fenchuganj upazila said, ‘For lack of available grass and the high price of substitutes like hay, oilcake and wheat bran I had to sell some of my cows,’ ‘Due to their poor diet at present many cows have fallen ill.’
‘Cow milk is my only income source,’ says Farhad Khan from Bibidoil village in Dakshin Surma upazila. ‘These days I am facing a serious crisis in finding pasture. I have been trying to manage my cattle by collecting water hyacinth, but I think in the coming week I’ll have to sell some since so much pasture has been damaged and submerged by the floods.’
‘I took a loan during Ramadan month to buy two cows,’ says Abdus Salam from Shah Sikandar village in Same upazila. ‘Now I am in financial crisis since the cows’ milk production is decreased from a lack of available pasture for them; and I can’t make the loan repayments as they become due.’
Sylhet Divisional deputy director of the livestock department says many area rely on small-scale cattle rearing, for either milk or meat, for their livelihoods. He says he has informed higher authorities concerning the problems they are experiencing due to the floods.
In addition to the needs of livestock, residents too are suffering from a crisis of both clean drinking water and food.
Standing Aus paddy and other summer crops worth Tk 170 million were damaged in two districts of Sylhet Division due to floods during the last four weeks.
official sources said. Tk 110 million in Sylhet and Tk 60 million in Sunamganj. However, the Moulvibazar and Habiganj districts suffered negligibly.
Deputy Director of DAE, Sylhet, Dr Mamunur Rashid said, about 4600 hectraes of land went inundated during the period in the districts of Sylhet and Sunamganj. The number of affected farmers in these districts is about 42,000 and over 18,000 respectively.
Of the total, standing Aus paddy on 1552 hecatres in Sylhet and 525 hectares in the district of Sunamganj were inundated while Transplant Aman seedbed on 1357 hecatres in Sylhet and 733 hecatres in Sunamganj were inundated and damaged. The other croplands include, broadcast Aman and winter vegetables, the official informed.
The affected areas in Sylhet include, Gowainghat, Jaintapur, Balaganj, Kanaight, Zakiganj Beanibazar and Golapganj upazilas.
In the district of Sunamganj, the badly affected areas are in Doarabazar, Biswambharpur and Sunamganj Sadar. The loss has preliminarily been estimated to be worth over Tk 60 million, the senior official informed further.
Meanwhile, the farmers have demanded immediate supply of seed of Transplanted Aman, fertiliser and fish fries and for taking up rehabilitation programme in a bid to recouping the huge loss.
Fodder crisis in Sylhet
Due to flooding in the Sylhet area covering six upazilas, livestock rearers are facing a crisis in finding feed for their stock. Yet water flow from the hills and continuing rainfall is further raising the level of the haor and submerging greater portions of pasture across the affected Jakiganj, Companiganj, Guainghat Fenchuganj and Osmaninagar upazilas in Sylhet.
Mafur Ali from Chandpur village in Fenchuganj upazila said, ‘For lack of available grass and the high price of substitutes like hay, oilcake and wheat bran I had to sell some of my cows,’ ‘Due to their poor diet at present many cows have fallen ill.’
‘Cow milk is my only income source,’ says Farhad Khan from Bibidoil village in Dakshin Surma upazila. ‘These days I am facing a serious crisis in finding pasture. I have been trying to manage my cattle by collecting water hyacinth, but I think in the coming week I’ll have to sell some since so much pasture has been damaged and submerged by the floods.’
‘I took a loan during Ramadan month to buy two cows,’ says Abdus Salam from Shah Sikandar village in Same upazila. ‘Now I am in financial crisis since the cows’ milk production is decreased from a lack of available pasture for them; and I can’t make the loan repayments as they become due.’
Sylhet Divisional deputy director of the livestock department says many area rely on small-scale cattle rearing, for either milk or meat, for their livelihoods. He says he has informed higher authorities concerning the problems they are experiencing due to the floods.
In addition to the needs of livestock, residents too are suffering from a crisis of both clean drinking water and food.
