Boro on vast areas goes under water

Farmers cutting and lifting onto a boat nearly ripe boro crop from a field in a haor of Rajnagar upazila under Moulvibazar district as heavy rainfall coupled with water from the hills across the border inundated the area. Photo: STAR

About two-thirds of the standing boro crop in Kawadighi and Korayer haor areas under Rajnagar upazila of Moulvibazar district have gone under water due to heavy rainfall and onrush of water from hills across the border.
Farmers in the affected areas are cutting unripe boro, fearing further loss as water levels in the haors continue to rise, inundating new croplands.
The affected Kawadighi haor areas are Harirkun, Kashimpur, Pealarkandi, Rangadhivi, Rokkharban, Jainerghup, Alirghup, Niamaterban, Kushuabil, Bhubannacha, Boroiuri and Ulauli.
The areas under Korayer Haor are Kamarchak, Tarapasha, Khas Premnagar, Shahidnagar and Brahmangaon.
Three pump machines installed at Kashimpur to pump water out of Kawadighi Haor still remain inoperative as Monday night's storm damaged power supply lines.
When contacted, Rajnagar Upazila Agriculture Officer Abul Kalam Chowdhury said boro on 1605 acres of land in Kawadighi Haor areas and on 988 acres in Karayer Haor areas have gone under water. Boro in some of the submerged Kawadighi Haor areas has become ripe and farmers are cutting the crop to avoid further loss, he added.
While visiting Kawadighi Haor area yesterday, this correspondent saw farmers were cutting boro paddy, using country-made boats.
They said if water level continues to rise, the extent of the damage of boro crop will increase. They demanded immediate resumption of power supply to the pump machines.
Nikhil Ranjan Som, executive engineer (mechanical) of the Water Development Board at Moulvibazar, said he has already told the authorities concerned to restore power supply to the pump machines as early as possible.
Sirajul Islam Chawdhury, executive Engineer of the PDB Moulvibazar office, said electric poles were badly damaged by Monday night's cyclonic storm. PDB workers are working round the clock to restore power supply to three pump machines at Kashimpur, he added.