SEVERAL hectares of farmland, with standing crops, went under water in five districts on May 2. The flooding of the cropland in haor areas of Sunamganj, Bagerhat, Netrakona and Habiganj, caused by heavy rainfall, and in char areas of Lalmonirhat, caused by the onrush of water from upstream, has left farmers grappling with losses. The flooding has, thus, come as a bane to the farmers, who hoped for a strong outturn this season. Whilst incessant downpour has caused river heights to increase in many areas, inundating low-lying areas, breaches in the dams for the protection of crops are also reported to have furthered the flooding in Sylhet and Sunamganj. Water Development Board officials in Sunamganj say that more than 60 per cent of the crop standing on 223,511 hectares of land has already been harvested, leaving 15,353 hectares inundated and damaged; farmers say that the extent of damage could be double the estimated amount. Crops standing on 200 hectares of land have gone under water in char areas of Lalmonirhat whilst boro rice standing on 7,300 hectares is reported to have gone under water in Bagerhat. The situation could worsen, with the Flood Forecasting and Warning Centre fearing further rainfall and an increase in river heights.
Breaches in the dams question issues of maintenance and repairs of the crop protection embankments and warrant further looking into. But the Water Development Board and the upazila and the district administration in the Sylhet region advised farmers to harvest the boro crop 80 per cent ripe to avoid losses. It, apparently, did not happen, which many put to the scarcity of day-labourers. A situation like this suggests that it is time for farmers to resort to mechanised harvesting and the government should be willing to spend money on such technological devices that are not prohibitively expensive. Whilst all this is an issue for the authorities to attend to in the long, or at least the medium, run, the government should now alert its agencies responsible for farming to lending a hand to farmers so that they can save what they still have hope for. The government also has issues of assistance, mostly financial, to mind to help the farmers recover from their losses. Farmers need support and the government should work out a plan now, assess the situation and establish the extent of damage immediately after the flood water recedes. The farmers who would take or have already taken out loans for farming should get the required time for loan repayment.
The government should sincerely do the assessment of damage and the enlistment of affected farmers, rising above any partisan interests, so that the financial assistance or anything like that does not fall into the wrong hands.
