Jamuna dyke breach inundates Aman plants in Gaibandha

Transplanted Aman seedlings on 246 acres of land in three villages under two upazilas under the district have remained flooded for around one month after water from the Jamuna river entered through the breach in the flood control embankment at Bhangamore village in Saghata upazila.

Taking a risk, farmers of the areas planted Aman seedlings on 500 acres of land with the hope that there would not be further flood this season. But the water level of the river began to rise around a month ago and reached eight centimetres above the danger mark.

“Onrush of water through the breach at Bhangamore village flooded Aman seedlings on 246 acres of low lying areas out of 500 acres of cultivated lands. The Aman plants might be damaged by the muddy water,” locals said.       

“I planted Aman seedlings on three bighas of land spending Tk 4,500, but the transplanted seedlings went under water when the sudden flood came,” said Abdus Samad, a farmer of Bhangamore.     

“Although flood water has started receding, it has already damaged the seedlings. Fresh seedlings will have to be planted on the affected land,” said Abdul Kafi Sarker, another farmer.

“This time it will be difficult to arrange costly seedlings for re-plantation on the flood affected land and the farmers cannot afford the additional expenditure,” said Abdul Hannan, a small farmer.

In August last year, floodwater of the Jamuna washed away a 40-metre stretch of the two-kilometre embankment-cum-road at Bhangamore and damaged transplanted Aman seedlings on vast areas of land.

Local people appealed to the union parishad chairman and the upazila nirbahi officer for repair of the breached portion but, despite assurances from them, the work has not started as yet.

After the flood water receded in July this year, farmers transplanted Aman seedlings with the hope of harvesting crops, but the Jamuna started swelling on September 7 and inundated seedlings on large areas of land, local people said.

“It was our expectation that no fresh flood would hit this time as flood time is over at the end of the August, but in mid-September, all on a sudden, water level started rising in the Jamuna river basin and submerged Aman seedlings on vast land in three villages,” said Bharatkahali Union Parishad Chairman (in-charge) Bazlur Rahman Mukta.