Bagerhat shrimp farmers hit hard by showers, tidal surges

BAGERHAT, Sept 28 (UNB): Already hit hard by the Covid-19 pandemic, shrimp farmers in Bagerhat district have been dealt another severe blow this year -- incessant showers and consequent tidal surges.
This year, shrimps, crabs and different species of fish worth over Tk 60 million have been swept away by tidal surges with more than 8,000 shrimp enclosures going under water across the southern district, pushing many farmers to the brink of starvation.
In Chanditola village of Bagerhat's Rampal upazila, for instance, most of the farmers have lost their shrimp enclosures to the late-monsoon showers and tidal surges.
The scenario is the same in villages across other upazilas of the district, prompting the District Shrimp Farmers' Association to demand from the government an insurance scheme for their members to protect them from such unexpected losses.
A recent reality check by the new agency revealed that thousands of shrimp enclosures across Sadar, Rampal, Mongla, Morelganj and Shoronkhola upazilas were washed away following five days of incessant showers -- from September 10 to September 14.
Though the Bagerhat fisheries department estimates the loss to be around Tk 60 million, farmers say the loss that they've incurred is much more than that --in fact, many have gone broke.
One such farmer is Meer Harun-or-Rashid of Majhidanga village in Sadar upazila, who has been cultivating shrimp for the past 20 years.
"I had to endure losses at the beginning of the year due to a drought-like situation. Besides, viral infections had caused many shrimps in my enclosures to die. Finally, rising water levels and heavy rains have taken away my remaining hopes, which was worth a few lakhs," said Harun.
Mahitul Islam Sumon, president of Bagerhat District Shrimp Farmers' Association, was quick to demand an insurance scheme for farmers to save them from going bankrupt.