Rain inundates Boro on 500 hectares of land in Ghatail

Ripe and half ripe Boro paddy on around 500 hectares of land went under water in the low-lying areas of Ghatail upazila due to heavy rain and rising water of the Tok river during the last few days.

Ghatail Upazila Agriculture Officer (UAO) Abdul Matin Biswas said Boro paddy was cultivated on 20,285 hectares of land in the upazila this year.

Paddy in the low-lying areas was inundated due to heavy rain as well as onrush of water from the hills, local farmers and agriculture officials said, adding that Ghatail municipal area was worst affected.

Paddy was submerged in Chaithara, Baichail, Baniapara, Jamalpur Foterpara, Ratanpur, Khilapara, Karimpur, Shimla, Chuhaliabari, Jamuria and Pungli villages as the flow of the Tok river has been blocked due to siltation near a bridge in Pungli area.     

Crops in low-lying areas near water bodies in Maichha Beel under Sangrampur union, Medhar Beel, Bolkar Beel and Chapra Beel under Dhalapara union, Kalian Beel, Guapacha Beel and Podmakuri and Ranadaha areas in Deopara union, and Atharochura under Rasulpur union also went under water.

Abdul Kader Master of Karimpur village said paddy on his 20 bighas of land was inundated due to the waterlogging caused by heavy rain and rising water in the river for the last few days.

Some farmers said they could not harvest the paddy due to shortage of labourers, while several others said they harvested the inundated paddy by paying Tk 600 to Tk 700 per labourer.

The UAO said draining of the Tok river to adjacent Jhinai river is essential, otherwise the local farmers will incur such losses every year.

"I shall raise the problem in the next upazila coordination meeting," he added.