200 hectares of paddy land inundated in Brahmanbaria

Paddy on 200 hectares of land in haor areas of Brahmanbaria's Nasirnagar upazila has been inundated by rising water levels of rivers over the last three days, posing a threat to this season's harvest.

The land of haor areas in six unions of the upazila, including Sadar, Bolakot, Burishwar and Goalnagar has been submerged, forcing farmers to harvest their half-ripe paddy.

According to people concerned and farmers, the water level in the rivers of Nasirnagar have already risen at least 2 feet due to onrush of water from upstream in Sunamganj, flooding the low-lying areas adjoining the river and beel. 

The rising water level in the rivers and haor has inundated 200 hectares of paddy fields, causing a huge loss to farmers, they added. 

Many of them took out loans to cultivate paddy on the land. Now they are worried about repaying their loans.

Nabi Nawaz Mia, a local farmer, said he had cultivated paddy on his land in Medini Haor with a loan of Tk50,000. Most of his land has been inundated by haor water for the last few days and he had to harvest some half-ripe paddy.

Another farmer, Harilal Das, said, "Farming is the only livelihood of my family. I cultivated paddy on 9 bighas of haor land this time, but I could not harvest the paddy as it has gone under water." 

He had hoped to harvest 200 maunds of paddy from these lands this time.

However, Nasirnagar Upazila Agriculture Officer Abu Sayed Tareq said the land affected by the flood water would not exceed 40 hectares and a list of affected farmers has been prepared to give them compensatory incentives.