Sunamganj farmers harvesting half-ripe paddy as upstream water inundates croplands

SYLHET, Apr 05: Sunamganj farmers are harvesting their half-ripe paddy in the haor regions as standing crops on over 150 haors including 42 large ones at high risk of getting damaged due to onrush of upstream water.

According to the upazila agriculture department, standing crops on about 1,500 hectares of land had already gone under water due to breaches in various haor embankments during the last two days. Besides, at least a hundred points on the embankments at places were at risk of collapse anytime.

Five haors--Chhoto Kanlar Haor in Sunamganj Sadar, Tanguar Haor in Tahirpur, Gua Pakua in Chhatak and Baghar Haor and Kolar Haor in Shulla upazila--were inundated in the last two days. Delayed or half-done works on earthen structure of the crop protection embankments are the main reason for breaches, alleged a number of senior citizens in Sunamganj.

However, the farmers in Jagannathpur and Chhatak upazilas managed to protect at least three earthen embankments in their areas.

When contacted, Deputy Director at Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE), Sunamganj, Bimol Chandra Shom said, "We are requesting the farmers to harvest 80 per cent ripe-paddy only. Crops in Tahirpur, Sunamganj Sadar, Dharmapasha, Shulla and Chhatak upazilas had gone under water till afternoon", he added. "The farmers were now passing sleepless night. Boro had been cultivated on 222,800 hectares of land in Sunamganj this year".

Locals alleged that all it happened due to substandard works on the embankments, built by the Water Development Board. WDB started works late and kept many works undone. They even didn't finish the final task on several embankments in our upazila.

The Surma and other rivers were also flowing close to red mark at various points.

WDB Chief Engineer ASM Shahidul Islam said, "The overall situation was static on Tuesday. WDB and administration officials along with the locals were working to protect the embankments at places and many cracks had been repaired with sandbags and bamboos. Still we apprehend rains which may cause much problem for us".

Meanwhile, citizens' forum 'Haor Bachao Andolan' Sunamganj district chapter president Oliur Rahman Chowdhury in a statement alleged that due to widespread corruption by the WDB officials and Project Implementation Committees, cracks had developed on many embankments while some had already been damaged inundating vast tracts of crop fields.

The forum held a press conference today (Wednesday) at a hotel in Sylhet city to raise voice against graft in crop protection schemes. The forum also urged the Prime Minister to take punitive action against corrupt people engaged in the works on crop protection embankments this year.

It may be mentioned that Tk 1.2 billion (120 crore) was sanctioned for the crop protection schemes this year while the WDB failed to complete works in time even after getting 15-day extension until March 15, locals alleged.

Crops on about 200 hectares of land in Sylhet district's Gowainghat, Jaintapur and Companiganj upazilas had been inundated in last two days.

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