Mangoes, litchis and even standing paddy in Rajshahi region are drying up and falling away due to extreme heat and a long absence of rainfall in Rajshahi and surrounding districts.
For the last two-day, the mercury in Rajshahi soared to 38.6 degree Celsius and the temperature would further rise during the next couple of days, informed Rezwanul Haque Observator of Rajshahi Meteorological Office. The lowest temperature of the day was recorded at 20.8 deg Celsius. The temperature is unlikely to wane until a moderate to heavy rainfall occurs, he added.
Meanwhile, the condition of daily wage earners, construction workers, day labourers and the rickshaw pullers of the city has turned miserable due to the unbearable heat. Those low-income group people are being forced to work, sweating amid hot sunshine.
Robiul(32), a van puller at Rajshahi Railgate area informed, it is very tiresome to pull a van under the hot sun, specially, during fasting. The fire seems to emit through the concrete road. Due to fasting, he is also failing to drink water but he is keeping his face cool occasionally by pouring water on his face from a bottle.
Not only the condition of human beings, animals and birds has turned miserable due to extreme hot weather but also the fruit-bearing plants and standing crops are drying up due to a long absence of rainfall. Moksed Ali of Haripur area under Paba upazila was pouring water through a bucket at the feet of the Litchi (Lychee) trees. He said, there has been no rain for a long time this year. The leaves of the trees are getting cramped in the heat of the burning sun. Some of the juvenile lychees are also being dried up. That is why he was pouring water on the tree trunks hoping for any benefit.
Mango orchard owner Rafiqul (55) of Chapal village under Godagari upazila informed the young mangoes from his trees are falling away in hot, dry weather. A moderate rainfall would save the mangoes. He said he was pouring water at the feet of the trees daily but that was not working well.
Abdul Hamid of Naohata area informed an acute crisis of water has been prevailing in the area. The deep tube wells under Barendra Multipurpose Development Authority (BMDA) can not supply sufficient water in the Boro paddy fields, As a result, farmers wait for rainwater. But, there was no rainfall this year. As a result, farmers are facing a crisis in irrigation. The irrigation cost from the deep tubewell is also increasing, he added.
Meteorological Office sources in Rajshahi informed, there was only an hour-long moderate rainfall in some eastern sides of Rajshahi including at Puthia, Charghat and Bagha upazilas during the first week of April. But there was only drizzles in Rajshahi Metropolitan area. As a result, the temperature of Rajshahi is continuously increasing. Even the areas are facing mild to moderate heat waves.
Agriculture Extension Department sources in Rajshahi informed, due to favourable climatic conditions, there was a huge budding of mangoes and litchis in the district during the current season. Small fruits are now seen to fill the tender branches of the trees. But, the extreme day temperature is threatening to devastate those green fruits. If the rainfall occurred in a short time and there was no storm, there would be a bumper production of mango and litchi in the district this year, the sources added.
