Due to continuous rain and hill slope, water level in rivers is increasing in Sunamganj. The water level in the rivers and Haors is rising and overflowing, one after another the crop protection dykes are breaking and the crops are being submerged in an instant. As a result, Boro crops of three hundred and five hectares of land in all upazilas including Sunamganj Sadar, Tahirpur and Shalla have been submerged. Thousands of farmers have suffered due to this untimely waterlogging. Farmers and Haor movement leaders have complained that the Haor is sinking due to the negligence of the Water Development Board and the administration. They have to take responsibility for the losses of the affected farmers.
From dawn to dusk on Tuesday, dams of different Haors of four upazilas of the district are breaking and water is flowing in the Haors. Besides, Boro crops of all the upazilas of the district are under threat. In such a situation, many volunteers have been seen trying to protect the dykes.
Meanwhile, the Haor Bachao Andolan district committee will hold protest processions and rallies in the district town to protest against unplanned dam construction, irregularities and crop failure due to corruption. A human chain will be organized by the district BNP with the same demand.
It is learned that on April 2, Najar Khali dyke Taguar Haor in Tahirpur upazila of the district got broke and water entered the Haor. On Monday after the dyke burst at Baghar Haor in Shalla Upazila, it seems that water has been continuously flowing into Chhota Kalna Haor of district headquarters, Chandra Sonar Tal Haor of Dharmapasha Upazila, Gua Pakua of Chhatak Upazila, Kalar Forest Haor of Shalla, Kaiyar Forest and Putia Haor. The farmers are facing distress the raw paddy has been submerged. The farmers of Haor area have become destitute.
Rajan Roy, a farmer from Ghungiargaon village, said, “I have already lost almost everything. Almost everything is submerged. There is no way to survive. We went to the administration several times before the water came to make an arrangement. Later we tried to save the dyke by throwing soil by ourselves. At the last moment we lost. We could not save the crop land of our Haor. No one but Allah sees the tears that sink in front of our golden dream eyes.
Suraj Mia, a farmer of Kalnar Haor, said that water came from four hills and washed away the small Kalner Haor. They are trying to protect the big Kalna haor. Many of the farmlands of small Kalna Haor are under water. The land of Bara Kalna Haor is submerged and now there is no way to survive.
According to the District Agriculture Extension Department, 50 hectares of land was overflowed from Chhota Kanlar Haor water in Rangarchar and Surma Unions of Sadar Upazila, 65 hectares of crop lands of Tanguar Haor in Tahirpur and Dharmapasha, 30 hectares of land in Gajjar Upazila of Goabagura Charamahalla Union have been submerged. Thousands of farmers in the district have been affected. However, the Boro paddy of all these Haors has not ripened yet. The Haor was submerged in the flood water before the paddy ripened.
Deputy Director of the District Agriculture Extension Department Bimal Chandra Som said that 2 lakh 22 thousand 605 hectares of land has been planted in the district this year. A total of 305 hectares of Boro land in Tahirpur, Shalla, Sadar and Chhatak districts have been submerged due to the landslide. The damage has not been calculated yet. If water does not come down from the Haor within the next two days, the damage will be irreparable. If the water goes down then maybe the damage will be less. Or this time Boro paddy will be damaged.
Meanwhile, the Tahirpur Upazila Nirbahi Officer Raihan Kabir has banned the movement of cargo boats on all rivers including Jadukata, Patlai and Boulai until further orders to ensure the safety of the sinking dyke in Tahirpur on Tuesday afternoon. Besides, instructions were given to the concerned authorities not to leave any cargo vessel from Barachhara, Charagaon, Bagli customs station and Fazilpur (Jadukata 1 and 2 Balumhal).
Shalla Upazila Nirbahi Officer Abu Taleb said the land in Kaiyar Ban and Putia Haor of the upazila has been submerged in water. However, these dams of the upazila are outside the scope of Water Development Board. Even then we tried to protect the crop land. But it was not possible to save it as the water level of the hill and river increased.