SYLHET, Aug 31: Crops worth Tk 263.45 million have been damaged by the recent flood in Sylhet region.
According to a statement made by the Department of Agriculture Extension (DAE) showed as many as 28 upazilas out of 39 in the four districts were hit by the natural calamity.
The conservative damage report stated Aus crops on 2,673 hectares were damaged completely. However, a number of farmers in Sylhet and Sunamganj claimed the actual damage would be almost double.
The official report stated, of the total 1717 hectares of Aus land were damaged in Sylhet, 56 hectares in Moulvibazar, 66 hectares in Habiganj and 834 hectraes in Sunamganj.
The loss of rice production has been estimated at 7,456 tonnes worth Tk 263,452,220, informed a DAE official.
As many as 18,434 farmers were affected. It includes highest 17,736 in Sylhet, 515 in Moulvibazar, 545 in Habiganj and 3,638 in Sunamganj.
Besides, 10,563 hectares of seedbed of T-Aman were damaged in the division's 26 upazilas. Of this, in terms of total damage it stood 361 hectares causing loss worth Tk 26955,000. It affected around 5,535 farmers in total.
Overall the flood affected farmers' number stood at 19,969 in the region while the crop loss at Tk 290407,220.
However, the DAE took no major assistance or rehabilitation programme for the farmers, admitted its Deputy Director, Sylhet divisional office, Mazumder Md. Ilias.
But, with a target for helping some farmers, 412 floating seedbeds had been prepared through selected farmers in the division as emergency assistance programme. We had provided seed and other expenses for these seedbeds, he added.
The farmers themselves had managed fresh seedlings for their lands from alternative sources.
"I collected some seedlings from nearby Beanibazar upazila for transplanting Aman on my land after the flood water receded", said farmer Abdul Hasib of Golapganj upazila.
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