The crops of 4,000 bighas of different areas of Lalpur upazila in Natore have been inundated in water due to the sudden rise of water in Padma River in the second phase.
The crops have been submerged due to continuous heavy rain and increase of water of Padma River.
Various crops, including paddy, mashkalai, papaya, went under water. The farmers experienced huge loss due to this.
On Wednesday, the water level at Ishwardi Harding Bridge Point was 12.32 meters. On Friday, the water of Padma in Lalpur was flowing below the danger level by one and a half meters.
Confirming the matter, Natore Water Development Board Executive Engineer Md Rafiqul Alam Chowdhury said that the water may continue to rise for the next five to seven days.
Meanwhile, around 18 char areas of Padma, including Nowshara Sultanpur, Chakla Binodpur, Diyarshankarpur, Araji Baknai, Rasulpur, Mohrakaya, and parts of Bilmaria Union, have been flooded.
A farmer of Bilmaria village, Muntaz Ali, said that radish and brinjal crops on his 3 Bigha land were washed away. Alal Ali, a farmer of Araji Baknai Char, said his crops, including radish, carrot and eggplant, on 4 and a half bigha land was submerged.
According to Upazila Agriculture Office, this time 410 hectares of sugarcane land, 45 hectares of vegetable land, 10 hectares of banana garden and 10 hectares of maskalai land have been submerged.
Besides, the cattle and buffalo farmers of the upazila are in trouble due to the shortage of fodder and inundation of grazing areas.
Arif Mandal, a farmer of Ilshamari Char, said, “I am in great distress with the cows and buffaloes. There is no grass anywhere, everything has gone under water.”
Lal Mohammad, a member of ward no. 2 of Bilmaria Union, said the crop fields of my ward were severely damaged by the sudden increase in water in the last two days. If the river water continues to rise, about five hundred families will become waterlogged.
Upazila Agriculture Officer Pritam Kumar Hor said that the farmers have planted new crops a few days ago due to the decrease in the river water. Now, the sudden increase in water has created new problem for the farmers. The extent of damage will be assessed after the water recedes.
Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO) Mehedi Hasan said we have instructed the chairmen of the Union Parishads to keep a complete monitoring. Moreover, the agriculture department has gone to Char areas to list the damage of the crops. Necessary measures will be taken.
