Farmers of chalan Beel area in Natore are spending their days worrying about harvesting their crops before monsoon waters submerge the marshland. Chalan Beel is the country’s largest wetland in the lower Atrai basin, stressing across Sirajganj, Natore and Pabna. In this key marshland for paddy cultivation, Singra upazila in Natore is known for the highest yield. Early rainfall is threatening the harvest of paddy. Every year, the monsoon water arrives usually after the harvest. But early rains this year have caused the Atrai river to swell as the harvest just began and the river has started flooding into the marshland. In order to prevent water from entering the paddy fields in the event of a flood, local agriculture office and villagers have put up temporary dams in their effort to block Beel’s canal network in singra area.
But this temporary measure is no solution to the long-lasting problem. We are already facing the very recent Haor tragedy which destroyed the bulk of the Boro crop leaving the farmers paupers. Thousands of hectares of ripe Boro paddy have already gone under water across Haor areas in Sunamganj, Habiganj. Netrokona and Kishoreganj districts while the remaining crops face acute risk. Around 37 percent of the crop mis still standing in the fields in an unripe state, with rapid deterioration feared due to sudden flooding. Even harvested paddy is rotting due to inadequate drying and storage facilities. Fodder for livestock has also been destroyed, pushing farming families to the brink. Some farmers after helplessly watching their precious crops submerged, collapsed and died of heartbreak.
Farmers in the Haor areas are clearly in a desperate situation due to heavy pre-monsoon rainfall which has destroyed their paddy just before harvest. Acute labour shortages, lack of mechanical support and weak and breached embankments have been identified as factors compounding the crisis. Many farmers now face food insecurity. It may be recalled that Haor region contributes about 20 percent of the country’s Boro rice production, highlighting the importance of this harvest for our food security.
In2017 and 2022 flash floods destroyed almost all the Boro paddy in the Haor region. The recent downpour and subsequent effects are a painful reminder of those bleak days. The situation is worse for those who have taken loans before cultivation. The questions agitating the minds of the farmers are- how will they repay their debts? How will they feed their families? Early rains and flash floods are not new phenomena. Yet every year around this time, vast quantity of Boro paddy is destroyed. Why have we not been able to take early and preemptive steps to minimize the damage? The answer is mostly in the inefficiency and lack of foresight of departments concerned. The vulnerable embankments, the causes of recurring distress should be repaired and fortified at the earliest. Time, however, is running out fast for the haor farmers. Rivers continue to swell and weather forecasts predict more rain, leaving the remaining unharvested crops at severe risk. The authorities concerned must take emergency measures to complete the harvest before the monsoon rain sets in.
