Farmers of Chalan Beel in Singra upazila, Natore, are making their best effort to bring their crops home before monsoon waters submerge the marshland. In order to prevent water from entering the paddy fields in the event of a flood, the local agriculture office and villagers have put up temporary dams blocking the beel’s canal network.

Farmer Saiful Islam, who cultivated 20 bighas of paddy, managed to harvest only five to six bighas last week before heavy rains forced him to stop.

Meanwhile, the swelling Atrai river has begun flooding into the Dahapara area, causing serious concern among local farmers.

In response, villagers have built temporary earthen embankments to block the rush of water. Saiful noted that if the weather remains stable for the next week or so, the entire wetland can be harvested.

“Every year, the monsoon water arrives after the harvest. However, early rains have caused the Atrai river to swell just as the harvest began, and so farmers are now spending their days worrying about their hard-earned crops,” Saiful said.

As the skies cleared on Sunday morning, Saiful and many others resumed harvesting, hoping for at least 10 days of dry weather to finish the job.

The crisis is not limited to Dahapara; the entire Chalan Beel marshland in Singra is under threat as the Atrai river pushes water into the beel’s canal network.

Speaking to The Daily Star, Khandakar Farid, the Singra upazila agriculture officer, said that 36,610 hectares were brought under Boro cultivation this year, with a production target of 2.78 lakh tonnes.

While this is one of the largest paddy-producing upazilas in the country, early rainfall is threatening smooth harvest.

“So far, 14,000 hectares have been harvested. However, continuous rain over the last three days has hampered progress. The swelling Atrai river and the rising water levels in the canals have farmers worried that water will soon breach the fields,” Farid said.

The local agriculture office has moved quickly to put up three temporary earthen embankments in Jormollika, Chougram, and Sholmari to prevent flooding. Similar protective measures have been taken by villagers at two sluice gate areas where water had already begun to seep into the croplands.

Despite the urgency, many farmers are harvesting traditionally rather than using combined harvesters to save on costs.

“Paddy is currently selling for Tk 1,100 per maund, which is lower than last year. If we use combined harvesters, the increased costs would result in a huge loss. We are harvesting by hand to remain profitable,” explained Ashraful Islam, a farmer from Shatpukuria village.

With approximately 60 percent of the paddy still in the fields, the next two weeks are critical. Agriculture officials and farmers agree that if the weather stays clear and the temporary dams hold, the entire crop can be safely brought home.

Officials from the local agriculture office continue to monitor the situation closely as the harvest continues in full swing.

Due to the onrush of water from upstream, the Atrai river has been swelling rapidly over the past few days, with water levels rising at least 10 feet in the last three, said Emdad Hossain, sub‑divisional engineer of the Natore Water Development Board.

As of yesterday, the river was flowing 2.69 metres below the danger level (a little over 12 metres).

“We are closely monitoring the situation in Singra, which is most vulnerable to flood. So far, the situation is under control,” he said.