Our Correspondent :
About 3,035 fish farmers in Madaripur district have suffered huge losses, estimated at around Tk19.31crore, in this year’s floods that washed away their ponds.
After the floods washed away 3,297 ponds in Madaripur Sadar, Shibchar, Kalkini and Rajoir upazilas of the district, about 1,000 tons of fish from the ponds escaped into floodwaters, according to the Fisheries Department in the district. Fisheries Officer Ripon Kanti Ghosh said the flood caused Tk19.31 crore worth of loss to the fish farms and Tk3 crore of it is infrastructural damage. The loss also includes Tk25 lakh worth of baby fish which were washed away by floodwaters.
Fish farming plays a vital role in meeting the demand of protein intake for Madaripur’s 12.11 lakh inhabitants as the local farms, run by 3,035 farmers, produce almost half of the fish required annually in the district, he also said.
Many affected farmers said their loss was extensive this time since most of their ponds were stocked with a large quantity of fish.
Fish farmer Sazzad Molla of Sadar upazila, said this year he spent Tk 6 lakh on 10 acres of land, and before getting flooded, the ponds had 50 to 60 maunds of fish, each weighing 500 to 600 grams.
He said all the fish have been washed away by the floodwater. Otherwise, three months later, he could make Tk 10 to 12 lakh from the fish and 50 percent of it would be profit.
Enayet Bepari, another fish farmer from Charkhagadi area of the upazila, said she invested Tk6 lakh on 196 decimal land. He lost the entire investment due to the flood of the Arial Khan River.
Without assistance from the authorities concerned, especially without loans or subsidies, the fish farmers might not be able to recover the loss and stand up on their feet again, said Enayet Bepari.
Fisheries Officer Ripon Kanti Ghosh said a list of fish farmers has been sent to higher authorities. “I hope steps will be taken soon,” he added.
