Fatal flood fallout

Sugarcane fields in Kalkandi village are now sheets of sand. PHOTO: STAR

Framers in Kulkandi, Belgacha and Chinaduli unions are bewildered. Waters from the mighty Jamuna has left layers of five to eight feet sand. The flood made them virtually pauper, taking away crops and damaging houses. Now they can neither cultivate the lands for crops not remove the sand.

The future of about 90 per cent of farmers in 25 villages are now covered with darkness. They have no food but can not cultivate Aman crop this year.

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Islampur Agriculture Extern Department (AED) sources said the floods damaged about Tk 50 core Aus paddy, sugarcane and jute on about 30,000 acres and also seedbed. Most of the lands are now covered with sand.

About 20,000 acres of land, 6,000 acres of paddy, 3,000 acres of jute and 1,000 acres of seedbeds were ruined by sand. AED sources said it will not be possible to remove the sand in next 2-3 years.

"I cultivated sugarcane on all ten acres of land and hoped to earn at least Tk three lakh, but all are gone", Amjad Hossain of Chainaduli village in Chainaduli union told this correspondent during a visit.

"The fields are now covered by sand. I do not know how I shall survive", he lamented.

Another farmer Kalu Mia of the same village said, "I have only two acres of sugarcane land. Every year I get about Tk 50,000 by selling sugarcane. Flood has made me virtually a begger".

"I have no money to remove the sand and make the lands cultivable again."

Islam Uddin Mondol of Kulkandi village said Islampur is famous for sugarcane, but sand has covered its future with darkness.

Kusi Mondol of the same village said farmers cultivate sugarcane and paddy alternately. But they will not be able to grow any of the crops for at least three years.

The farmers said they can not remove the massive deposits of sand without government assistance.

Asked by this correspondent they said huge funds are needed to remove the sand. Moreover here is no place to deposit the sand. The government can take a project to utilise the sand for renovation of roads and highways.