Although golden crops cover the vast fields of the Haor region, uncertainty and anxiety are growing among farmers. Recent heavy rainfall and upstream runoff have created a risk of crop damage at any moment. Farmers fear they will face significant financial loss if they cannot protect the harvest they worked day and night to produce. In response, the Water Development Board (WDB) has issued an emergency alert. The agency stated that 98 percent of the embankment construction is complete, and grass is currently being planted on the embankments. It added that there is no immediate threat of early floods.
Records show that Boro rice was cultivated on 223,511 hectares in Sunamganj this year. As time passes, the crops have started to mature. However, heavy rainfall across various upazilas last week caused water to accumulate in the haors. Meanwhile, hailstorms in Tahirpur and parts of the Sadar, Bishwambharpur, Jamalganj, Dharmapasha, Madhyanagar, Shantiganj, and Chhatak upazilas have caused further damage. Additionally, low-lying fields in haors such as Shialmara, Joalbhanga, Pakhimara, and Nagdara in Shantiganj are waterlogged. Farmers worry that if the rain continues, the damage from waterlogging and crops being submerged in early floods caused by mountain runoff will be severe.
In Shalla Upazila, soil is typically placed on the banks from below the Shalla Bridge, built on the Darain River, on the border of Koiyar and Phutiar haors every year to prevent early floodwaters from entering. This project is implemented by the Union Council. This year, a project was designed to raise the embankments, and the allocated funds were released. Rita Roy, a member of the Bahara Union Council from a reserved seat and the project president, withdrew the money but failed to start the work before Eid. Consequently, river water began overflowing into the haor. Following the intervention of the Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO), soil-cutting work began, though some water had already entered.
A farmer from Ghungiar village, Subir Sarkar, said, “I cultivated two acres of land in the haor. I rushed here after hearing that water was entering over the embankments. Many other farmers have also gathered here in distress.”
Mohitosh Das from the same village said, “About 600 to 700 farmers from Ghungiar, Dumra, and Tajpur villages have nearly 500 acres of land in the haor. There’s no WDB project there. A project worth BDT 200,000 was formed with Rita Roy as president and UP member Sajal Das as member secretary. They took the money but didn’t do the work.”
Project President Rita Roy said, “The amount isn’t BDT 200,000; it was a smaller amount allocated in two phases. I withdrew the money last Wednesday. There was a fair in the area, and the work was supposed to start afterward. But then the rain began. For this reason, it was not possible to begin work.”
Shalla UNO Pias Chandra Das said, “The water level of Darain River had risen and was entering over an embankment. We’ve started work there with excavators. There’s no cause for concern now”.
Sunamganj WDB Executive Engineer Mamun Hawlader confirmed that leave for all officers and employees has been cancelled until the weather improves. “As of yesterday, 98 percent of the embankment work was finished. Only the grass planting remains. We’ve opened sluice gates where rainwater has entered and are taking all necessary steps. I urge farmers not to panic,” he said.