Paddy sinking in front
of farmers in Haor

Biddut P. Roy from Kishoreganj: Boro paddy in a wide area has sunk in the haor of Kishoreganj on the hill slope coming down from the upper reaches. The locals are trying their best to protect the crop protection dam. Farmers are trying to harvest raw-ripe paddy from under water in the Char area of Itna in the district. The farmers are crying because the crop is drowning in the water just before ripening.
The raw paddy of the land is sinking in the water in front of the eyes. Farmers have nothing to do but look. Many are forced to cut raw paddy. In the field of Itna in Haoranchal of Kishoreganj, the farmers are now crying.
Cherrapunji in Assam, India has received extra rainfall. Due to rising river water, water is entering Itna Haor of Kishoreganj at high speed through Sunamganj. By Saturday afternoon, the waters of the Dhanu River in Itna had risen and entered the lowlands of the char region.
Maidhar Ali of Charpara village in Itna Sadar was sitting on the haor sub-merciable road of Jiole watching the paddy of the field sinking. And only after 15 days the land would start harvesting paddy. At that time the paddy of the land was submerged and only a shadow of sadness appeared on his face.
Itna Upazila’s Jeol Haor has been visited in different areas, new land is sinking with the rapid rise of river water. There have been cracks in several dams, including the Jeol dam. Locals are trying to protect the dam with bamboo, soil and mats.
Farmers complained that the Water Development Board did not repair the crop protection dams in time and they were on the verge of collapsing. If these are not repaired quickly, various haors will sink quickly.
Itna Sadar UP Chairman Shafiqul Islam Sohag said that the dam of Jeol was damaged due to sudden pressure of upstream water. The dam is being repaired with the help of villagers.
Farmers complained that water was easily flowing into the land as the Water Development Board could not repair the crop protection dam in time.
However, Kishoreganj Water Development Board Executive Engineer. Matiur Rahman said 63 crop protection dams in the haor have been repaired. However, as the land acquisition has not been completed, 12 large crop protection dam projects of about 60 km length have not been completed yet.
Meanwhile, a four-member team of Agriculture Department led by Saiful Hasan Alamin, Assistant Deputy Director, Kishoreganj District Agriculture Extension Department, visited the affected area at Haol in Jiol on Sunday afternoon.
He said work is underway to determine how much land has been submerged so far. However, he said that water has initially risen in 200 acres of land in this haor.
This time 1 lakh 4 thousand metric tons of boro paddy has been planted in three haor upazilas of Kishoreganj including Itna.