Flash flood triggered by rain damages fish enclosures, crops
Heavy downpour from Friday midnight to Saturday noon flooded low-lying areas of three municipalities and nine upazilas of Bagerhat and caused damage to fish enclosures and different crops including vegetables.
The coastal district saw an average of 55-millimetre rainfall in the 12 hours, which can be considered as this year’s highest in the area, said officials of the Department of Agricultural Extension.
A number of roads, vast crop fields and many fish enclosures in Bagerhat Sadar, Mongla, Rampal, Sharankhola, Morrelganj and Kachua upazilas have been badly damaged.
Farmers are worried as the water level rises during high tides.
Bagerhat Sadar Upazila Fisheries Officer ASM Russell said fish from at least 250 enclosures have been washed away due to the flooding caused by continuous rain. Thousands of fishermen will suffer huge losses if there is further downpour, he added.
Nakib Ohid, chairman of Badal Union Parishad in Kachua upazila, said at least 2500 crop farmers and several owners of shrimp enclosures in the union face serious losses due to the flooding.
“People’s movement is badly disturbed as roads are under knee-deep water in our area. Many shrimp enclosures are flooded,” said Musfikul Islam of Karapara village in Bagerhat Sadar union.
“The excessive rain caused rotting of the roots of some vegetables. However, the damage would not be that much if there is no further rain,” said Rustom Sheikh, a vegetable grower of Kachua.
Talukder Abdul Baki, panel mayor of Bagerhat municipality, said survey work has started as a project is going to be implemented to reduce waterlogging in the municipality.
Aftab Uddin Ahmed, deputy director of the Department of Agricultural Extension in Bagerhat, said, “The heavy rain resulted in the flooding that caused damage to betel plantations and vegetable fields. However, the losses will be minimum if water recedes quickly.”
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