Deluge dents their fortune

An untimely flood brought havoc for the people of Netrakona haor areas. Amiruddin and his three sons are trying to salvage paddy from his field submerged under 12 feet water at Paboy village in Mononganj upazila. The photo was taken on Friday. PHOTO: STAR

But their efforts turned futile under 12 feet water. Flash flood submerged 80 per cent of their Boro paddy at Paboy village in Mohongonj upazila.

"We will have nothing to eat. The lone rice crop in a year has been destroyed", he lamented while talking to this correspondent during a visit to the affected areas on Friday.

Tap here to add The Daily Star as a trusted source

Most of the farmers in Mohongonj, Khaliajuri and Modan upazilas face the same fate.

At least 70 percent of the ready-for-harvest Boro crops on about 1,30,000 acres in the haor areas in the three upazilas have been destroyed, according to local AED (Agriculture Extension Department) officials. They said crops on about 45,000 acres have gone under water in Khaliajuri, 48,000 in Mohongonj and 37,000 acres in Modon.

Their statements were corroborated by Netrakona Water Development Board (WDB) officials.

The district administration estimated the loss at over 100 crore taka.

The floodwater is rising as Donu and Kongsha rivers burst embankments at several points including Asharkona and Kirthankhala. Rain in the last four days and water from upper hilly reaches across the border aggravated the situation.

Farmers, rich or poor, have hard days ahead as the lone crop in a year is gone.

Abdur Rahman a rich former at Gaglajur village in Khaliajuri upazila said he got about 4,000 mound of Boro paddy last year. This year, he got only 600 maunds as flash flood damaged 85 per cent of the crops.

He needs around 300 mounds of paddy a month for his 40-member joint family and farm labourers. He is fully dependent on Boro for the whole year.

"I have no alternative to taking loan from creditors at high interest rate, he said.

"I will have to give away almost half of next year's harvest to the creditors to repay loans", he said.

Sharecropper Nirmal Chandra Sarkar of Chakua village in Khaliajuri upazila said he got only 60 maunds this year against 300 maunds last year.

"I will have to run my family by taking loan at high interest rate and repay with paddy", he said.

Crop loss in a season has a chain affect which lasts several years. Small and marginal farmers become indebted and then turn landless. This is why the number of landles people is increasing in the haor areas, they said.

Local people including political leaders urged successive governments several times earlier for construction of flood protection dams on the rivers and at certain points in the haor areas.

This year's flood began after several breaches in the WDB dam built on the Dhonu river at Khaliajuri laty year, they said.

People led by leaders of all political parties formed a human chain in front of Netrakona Deputy Commissioner's office last week demanding interest-free agriculture loan to the affected people and construction of flood protection embankments.

Political activists including Netrakona district BNP vice-president Abdul Mannan and Awami League president Shamsuzzoha joined the human chain.

State Minister for Home Lutfozzaman Babar during a recent visit to the district assured of agricultural loan but local people say that will trickle down to a very few of the needy because of ruling party 'touts' who reap benefit from such programmes.

There is no micro-credit activity by any local non-government organisation (NGO) in the haor areas, the local people said.