<i>Because of 2 damaged sluice gates </i>
15,000-acre vegetable fields in Pakundia now sheets of water
Vast areas in Pakundia upazila, known as a vegetable growing area, are now sheets of water with crops completely damaged only because two sluice gates on an embankment along the Brahmaputra is not repaired for long.
Vegetables and nearly ready for harvest paddy on about 22,000 acres are now under water, according to Upazila Agriculture Extension Department (AED) Officer Prasanta Kumar Saha.
The crops include vegetables and chilly on over 15,000 acres, Amon seeds beds on 200, paddy on about 400 acres and 100 acres of other crops.
The 13 km long embankment cum road from Charjamail at Hossainpur upazila to Mirjapur Bazar in Pakundia upazila along the Brahmaputra river protected the area from floods. Floods water inundated the area this year also as two sluice gates on the embankment were not repaired for long, Prasanta said.
One of the sluice gates is at Madhapara in Char Kawna village and the other is at Char Kussha in Mirjapur Bazar in Pakundia upazila.
AED Block Supervisor Shafiqul Alam said, as repeated appeals and demonstrations failed to draw the authorities' attention, villagers repaired the sluice gates to protect their vegetable fields.
But their efforts were of no use as water level of the Brahmaputra river rose and entered engulfed the area overnight, inundating crops fields. They said they did not get any assistance from the local administration in repairing the sluice gates.
Badly effected four unions covering over 50 villages are Jangalia, Egarosindur, Charparadi and Burudia, they said.
Prasanta said, Pakundia upazila is prominent for growing chilly and of vegetables, mainly supplied to the capital as traders from Dhaka with pickups could easily reach the upazila through Monohordi in Narshindi.
Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO) Anisuzzaman quoted a local Union Parishad chairman and said both the sluice gates were usable. The flood was caused by excessive rainfall.
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