Floods cause damage worth Tk172cr to Manikganj farmers 

The two-phase floods have caused damage of around Tk171.91 crore to the farmers in Manikganj district. Eight crop varieties, including vegetables, have been added to the list of affected crops.

However, the farmers of the district claim that the actual amount of loss might be more than this estimate. 

Sources from the Department of Agriculture Extension (DAE) said that flood water submerged around 31,577 hectares of agricultural land in the district, and affected 145,166 farmers of seven upazilas of Manikganj.

The list of affected crops includes RopaAman, RopaAman seedbed, Bona Aman, RopaAus, Bona Aus, vegetables, and maize, among others.

However, local farmers also claimed that a number of other crops, including jute and sugarcane, have been damaged by the flood.

Monwar Hossain, a farmer from the Kamta area of ​​Saturia upazila of the district, said he had planted eggplant on two bighas of land and potatoes on one bigha of land.

"The cost of this farming was around Tk60,000. I was about to get the yield, but the vegetable land has been submerged in the flood waters," he said.

He claimed that he could sell vegetables worth at least Tk1.5 lakh from the land.

Sorhab Hossain, of the Banparil area of ​​Manikganj Sadar upazila, said he cultivated jute on 13 bighas of land at a cost of around Tk100,000.

"Suddenly, the jute field was inundated and all the jute plants died on the land as the water was stagnant there for a long time," he said.

Amjad Hossain, a chili farmer from the Saheli area of ​​Shibalaya upazila of the district, said he planted chilis on two bighas of land at a cost of Tk50,000.

"Due to the low price of chili, I suffered  a loss despite having a good yield. Meanwhile, the flood has affected my land and all the plants died," he said.  

So far, he has sold chili worth around Tk12,000. However, he said that if there was no water in the land, he could have sold more chilies worth around Tk70,000-80,000.

Afaz Uddin, a farmer from Sametpur village in Daulatpur upazila, planted aman paddy when the water decreased for the first time. Water from the Jamuna River submerged all the land a few days later, he said.

He demanded that the government should stand by affected farmers.

Md Shahjahan Ali, deputy director of the DAE in Manikganj said three incentives have already been provided for affected farmers.

"Aman seedlings have been planted on six acres of land and distributed for free among the farmers of Manikganj Sadar, Saturia and Singair upazilas. Besides, lentil seeds and necessary fertilisers will be distributed among 2,000 farmers," he said.

Moreover, 11 types of vegetable seeds will be distributed among 19,400 farmers in the district. This will enable the flood-affected farmers to cultivate their land again, he added.