Dike collapse worsens flood situation in Netrakona

Maleka Begum, member of a farmer family at Mandarbari village in Mohonganj upazila of Netrakona district wails after losing her boro paddy plants as flash floods inundated vast croplands in the area during the last couple of days. Photo: STAR

With inundation of more haor areas in Kalmakanda and Madan upazilas, flood situation in Netrakona further deteriorated yesterday,
According to sources in Water Development Board (WDB), the situation in the haor areas is getting worse as flood protection embankment at Huldharia in Kalmakanda upazila collapsed early yesterday due to rise in water level in the river Dhanu.
The fresh affected areas are Sunadhubi, Jangalia, Bishorpasha, Nagdohor, Harindhara, Kalaikandi, Ragurampur and Gujakulia haors (water bodies) in Kalmakanda upazila and Gobindashree, Gogda, Uchidpur and Uluhati haors in Madan upazila.
Netrakona Agriculture Extension department sources said, 1,76,000 hectares of land have been brought under boro cultivation in the district this year. Of them, 69 hectares are in haor areas of Khaliajuri, Mohonganj, Madan and Kalmakanda upazilas.
Flash flood caused by onrush of hill water from across the border has so far damaged Irri-boro crops on 35 thousand hectares of land in the haor areas of the four upazilas, sources added.
Malaka Begum, mother of six children of Mandarbari village under Mohonganj upazila, broke down in front of local journalists, saying that she cultivated boro on five acres of land by taking 20 thousand taka in loan, but flash flood damaged the plants. She posed a question how she will maintain her seven-member family as she has lost everything.
Majnu Mia, 55, of Lepsia village under Khaliajuri upazila cultivated boro on six acres of land by taking loan from an NGO, but flood water damaged his all boro plants. He said, “How I will repay the loan and maintain my family.”
Chairman of Khaliajuri Sadar Union told the correspondent that 50 percent boro plants had gone under floodwater in the last two days while the rest will damage if the situation aggravates further.