7,000 hectares of Boro crops submerged in Kishoreganj, 21,000 farmers affected

Persistent rainfall and an onrush of water from upstream have caused river levels to rise in Kishoreganj, submerging nearly 7,000 hectares of Boro paddy fields. Furthermore, a lack of sunlight has made it impossible for farmers to dry the crops they managed to harvest.

The Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE) estimates that at least 21,000 farmers in the region’s haor (wetland) areas have been affected.

Following several days of incessant rain, there was a brief spell of mild sunshine last Thursday. However, clouds gathered again on Friday morning, followed by rain that night. Moderate to heavy rainfall was reported across various parts of the district until Saturday morning.

Under these conditions, paddy that has been piled up for nearly five days could not be sun-dried. Harvested wet crops remain stacked in threshing floors or courtyards. Farmers are facing a double blow: while thousands of acres remain underwater, the crops already harvested are rotting due to the lack of sun.

Kala Mia, a farmer from the Majlishpur area in Nikli, saw 10 kanis (approximately 300 decimals) of his land submerged. Last Sunday, he hired labourers to harvest semi-ripe paddy from about six kanis. Due to the rain, he kept the harvest in stacks, but without sunshine, he could not process it.

Pointing to his spoiled crop, Kala Mia lamented that he could not save the grain even after bringing it in; the paddy has turned black and is rotting. He had hoped to harvest the remaining crops that were still afloat, but labourers cannot be found even for a daily wage of Tk 1,200.

Sajjad Hossain, executive engineer of the Kishoreganj Water Development Board (WDB), stated that water levels in most of the district’s rivers have risen slightly, though they remain below the danger mark.

Water levels increased by several centimetres in the Dhanu-Boulai River in Itna, the Magra River in the Chamrabandar area of Karimganj, the Kalni River in Austagram, and the Meghna River in Bhairab. In some areas, farmers are cutting through embankments themselves to drain accumulated rainwater, he added.

Mohammad Sadiqur Rahman, deputy director of the DAE, noted that 6,768 hectares of paddy land have been submerged across the haor regions of Itna, Mithamain, Austagram, and Nikli due to rising river levels and flash floods. He estimated that around 21,000 farmers have been impacted. He advised farmers to harvest any crop that is 80 per cent ripe, even without the sun, to prevent further losses in the fields.

According to the DAE, Boro paddy was cultivated on 168,262 hectares across the 13 upazilas of Kishoreganj this year, with 104,535 hectares located specifically within the haor areas.