Farmers' Dreams Submerged in Netrokona: Flash Floods Devastate Boro Crops
According to the District Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE), approximately 15,000 hectares of paddy fields across various upazilas, including Khaliajuri, Madan, and Kalmakanda, have been submerged. With more than half of the crops still left to be harvested, thousands of farmers have been left destitute by this sudden flash flood.
Milan Bepari (64), a prominent farmer from Jagannathpur village in Khaliajuri, had cultivated 50 acres of land this year. While he expected a yield of 5,000 maunds of paddy, more than half of his land is now underwater. Local farmers report that the rainwater cannot recede due to siltation in rivers and canals, exacerbated by dysfunctional sluice gates. Consequently, a tragic phenomenon known locally as "Nayonbhaga" is being witnessed across the haors—a situation where others harvest the submerged paddy before the owner's eyes, leaving the owner with nothing.
According to the District Water Development Board, the water level of the Kangsha River is flowing 1.10 meters above the danger mark, while the Ubdakhali River is 81 centimeters above the limit. Deputy Commissioner Khandaker Mushfiqur Rahman stated that the situation is primarily caused by rainwater being trapped due to riverbed siltation. Agricultural officers fear that if the water continues to rise, the extent of the damage will multiply. In addition to crop losses, farmers are facing an acute crisis of cattle feed as they are unable to dry straw for their livestock.
