Bangladesh Flood 2020: Thousands of Hactors of Paddy Fields Submerged by Floodwater
Adnan Mahfuz
Bangladesh is an agricultural country. A huge percentage of people here are farmers. And currently, the paddy cultivating season is going on. Many people were dependent on the paddy that they cultivated by working so hard.
But the current flood has ruined everything. Thousands of acres of paddy fields have sunk submerged underwater. The farmers are anxious about their crops. They are dependent on this paddy for their income. Soon the paddy would have been ready to be cut down and taken to their home.
And the farmers would have sold them and earned their living. But now all are gone in the flood. And farmers are heartbroken for this.
There is just a tone of regret in the voices of thousands of farmers due to rains and floods. Helal, a farmer of Bogura District, said,
“The paddy of thousands of Hactors of land has gone underwater for 3-4 days in many areas including in Ullapara of Dhunat Upazila and Chorpara, Fakirpara and 20 unions in Sherpur and Dhunat Upazila. The farmers are very worried. Because Aus paddy is supposed to be taken to home only a month later. In this hope, many have also sold the paddy kept at home. Now they are in great danger.”
Floods have inundated the low-lying areas of various northern districts since last June due to the downpour and heavy rains.
However, this time not only the lower region but also most of the districts of the north including Jamalpur, Sherpur, Mymensingh, Netrokona, Kishoreganj, Sylhet, Sunamganj, Faridpur, Madaripur, and 18 other districts are being flooded. As a result, crops including aus paddy, jute, vegetables, nuts, sesame, etc. have been submerged in these areas.
Earlier, the Minister of Agriculture. Abdur Razzak said, “Even if some Aus lands are submerged in the floods, the target will not be disrupted. Because compared to other years, this time Aus has been cultivated in more than 2 lakh hectares of land.”
In this context, the farmers say, “The ministers give the account as for them. They always want to live for themselves. If we calculate, the amount of Aus paddy submerged in the floodwaters in 17 districts will be over 2 lakh hectares.
As a result, Aus’s target will not be met. A few days ago, he said, some small lands in the lowlands have been damaged by the floods.”
On July 20, the agriculture minister said, “Initially, the floods have damaged crops worth about BDT 349 crore. Various initiatives have been taken to reduce the damage.
The floods have damaged many crops, including aus, aman, vegetables, and jute. Preparations are underway to make alternative seedbeds, cultivate alternative crops on the damaged land, and conduct regular weather monitoring to deal with crop losses due to floods.
While the Ministry of Agriculture and the Department of Agricultural Extension is hoping for extra aus production, floods have flooded many farmers’ paddy fields in different parts of the country. Many of them can’t even bring a bit of paddy to their home because the floodwaters destroyed their paddy.
It learned that 5,653 hectares of agricultural land had destroyed in the floods in Kurigram. Aman seedbed is 435 hectares, and aus is 825 hectares.
Mostafizur Rahman Pradhan, deputy director of the Department of Agricultural Extension, said, “1,692 hectares of crops have been submerged in the floods.”
Masudur Rahman, Deputy Director, District Agriculture Extension Department of Gaibandha, said, “196 hectares of Aus paddy in the district has been submerged in the floodwaters.”
According to the Department of Agriculture Extension, Sirajganj 55 hectares of Aus paddy (Kharif – I) has been destroyed in Sirajganj this season. Besides, other crops of 1,509 hectares of land have also submerged in the floodwaters.
Aminul Islam, Deputy Director, Department of Agriculture Extension, Jamalpur District said that 286 hectares of Aus paddy (Kharif – I) submerged in the floodwaters in the district. Besides, 65 hectares of Aman seedbed had also been destroyed by drowning.
Dr Md. Shahjahan Kabir, Director General, Bangladesh Rice Research Institute, said, “Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has instructed that one inch of land cannot be left behind. Every inch of land has to be used.
Aus paddy has been cultivated in 1.336 million hectares of land in the fiscal year 2020-21. The production target has been set at 3.65 million metric tons. That is more than 2 lakh hectares than last year. All the lands that used to be fallow, would not have been cultivated in Barisal, this time those lands have come under Aus paddy cultivation.
But we do not have control over nature. We live with various disasters including floods, tsunamis, cyclones, and droughts. Many of the Aus paddy crops that the farmers cultivated with the help of the government have been destroyed by the floods.
The government, however, is ready to cooperate in the next crop cultivation. The agriculture minister has also spoken about all the facilities. In that way, the farmer will be able to make up for it.”
Source: Jago News
