Saline water floods aman fields in Kalapara
![Saline water entering through the damaged embankment at Nizampur in Kalapara upazila under Patuakhali district floods the nearby aman fields. PHOTO: STAR](https://tds-images.thedailystar.net/upload/gallery/image/arts/saline-water-kalapara-01.jpg)
Over 100 acres of aman paddy land at Nizampur in Kalapara upaizla under the district have been flooded with saline water that entered through the damaged part of a flood control embankment on the Ramnabad River under the influence of full moon during the last one week.
"I cultivated Aman paddy on five areas of land that total captured by saline water which entered through the damaged part of the flood control dam. We are very worried as salinity affected aman paddy is being mildewed," said Md Hafez Fakir, a farmer.
![An affected aman field gets mildewed. PHOTO: STAR](https://tds-images.thedailystar.net/upload/gallery/image/arts/saline-water-kalapara-02.jpg)
Solaiman Sharif, another farmer of the same area, said they were supposed to reap aman paddy after 15 to 20 days but they became frustrated as the fields got flooded with saline water.
"About 300 metres of the embankment collapsed into river in the rainy season. In September, we formed a human chain at Kalapara upazila parishad premises, urging the authorities to repair the embankment but in vain. Finally saline water entered the paddy fields through the damaged part of the embankment," he said.
The near ripe aman paddy would be saved if the authority repaired the 300 metres of the damaged embankment, said Abdul Maleque Akon, chairman of local union parishad.
Md Shafi Uddin Ahmed, executive engineer for Patuakhali Water Development Board, said they could not repair the embankment in time due to lack of fund.
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