Farmers in Sunamganj are fearing for crops as the water levels in haors remain high due to heavy rain and navigational crisis of the rivers. Boro rice harvest is being delayed and they fear untimely rain may destroy the crops.
Md Sobhan Mia, a farmer in Jamalganj upazila’s Beheli union says that it’s taking longer for the water in the haor to go down due to heavy rainfall in late autumn.
“Since boro [rice] will be planted late, harvest will be late. The crops might even be destroyed by early rain,” he said.
A tea vendor at the union Nripenda Sarker said that last year the farmers were already planting saplings around this time. “But this time they are only preparing the seedbed.”
Beheli union parishad Chairman Asim Talukder demanded river digging for water level to go down and warned of dire consequences.
Deputy Commissioner Md Rabiul Hoque said that the agricultural division was advising the farmers to plant crops that take less time to harvest.
Water Development Board Engineer Md Rezaul Kabir said that the sluice gates have been opened in order to reduce water level.
According to the district’s agricultural extention, this year the government se a goal of harvesting boro rice over more than 219,000 hectres of land. Seedbeds have been prepared over nearly 9,000 hectres of land.