Boro fields flooded as haor embankment collapses

Boro paddy on hundreds of acres of land has been flooded in Borokhapon union of Netrakona’s Kalmakanda upazila following collapse of an embankment on Guraduba Haor, a water body in adjacent Madhyanagar union of Darmapasha upazila in Sunamganj.

The upazila and its adjacent areas are under serious risk of flooding due to the embankment collapse, said AKM Hadisuzzaman, chairman of Borokhapon Union Parishad.

“There will be huge losses if water enters the low-lying areas of Kalmakanda, such as Mohishasur Haor, Meda Beel and Jangia Beel. Fish farmers in Madhyanagar sometimes cut the embankment to protect their ponds when the area is flooded by water coming from hills across the border,” he said.

Md Faruk Ahmmed, Kalmakanda upazila agriculture officer, said about 90 percent of the Boro paddy in the area has already been harvested and the remaining crop might be affected due to the flooding.

This year 21,300 acres of land, including 4780 acres in haor areas of the upazila, were brought under Boro cultivation, the official said.

 Md Anik Rahman, fisheries officer of Kalmakanda, said, “The flooding has not posed any threat to fish cultivation yet. But the situation may worsen and so, the fish farmers are suggested to arrange netting around their ponds as a protection measure.”

Md Zakir Hossain, upazila nirbahi officer of Kalmakanda, said he along with local lawmaker Manu Majumder visited the embankment on Monday and found no problem in it.

But all of a sudden, the embankment collapsed early yesterday.

“We contacted with the administration in Sunamganj and talked about measures to tackle the situation on an urgent basis. Water Development Board’s Sub-Assistant Engineer in Netrakona Ibrahim Khalilullah has visited the spot and necessary steps will be taken according to his report,” he said.