Boro on 8,000 acres of land at risk in Sunamganj

SYLHET, Apr 29: A case has been filed accusing 90 persons, including eight by name on charge of cutting a portion of embankment in Tanguar haor area in Sunamganj on Thursday. Accordingly one Anwar Hossain was arrested on Friday last. He was immediately sent to the jail through judicial magistrate, Tahirpur police informed.
Other accused include, Arif Mia, Mizanur Rahman, Bokul Mia, Sultan Mia, Sohel Mia and his brother Rafiqul Islam and Pavel Mia.
Treasurer of Tanguar Haor Co-Management Committee Khosrul Alam filed the case after some people cut Naotana crop protection embankment on Thursday night.
Officer in charge of Tahirpur police station Nandan Kandi Dhar said police were trying to arrest the other accused.
A good portion of the embankment got eroded on points after the cutting, locals said, adding, water was entering through the points to the huge paddy lands inside the embankment area. The rolling water comes through the frontier river Patlai from Meghalaya. Farmers of 88 small villages on the four unions on the vast Tanguar haor banks cultivate Boro in the area. Uttar Bangshikunda and Dakshin Bangshikunda unions of Dharmapasha upazila and Uttar and Dakshin Sripur unions of Tahirpur upazila would be affected, locals said.
A farmer of village Joypur said out of his 12 acres, one acre could be harvested. I don't know whether it would be possible to harvest the rest, he added. Rolling of water from the upstream continued for the second day.
Upazila agricuture officer of Tahirpur said about 60 per cent of the crops had been harvested, but the rest is still at risk if rolling of water was not contained.
Upazila Chairman Kamruzzaman said standing crops on at least 8,000 acres would be affected if gushing water was not stopped. "We would soon take steps in this regard", he added.
Meanwhile, the upazila administration with the help of the local chairman later repaired the embankment.

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