In Chitalmari upazila of Bagerhat, there has been going a prolonged drought and extreme heat wave due to no rain for long. Farmers as well as the fish cultivators are in extreme despair as hundreds of shrimp enclosures locally known as Gher have dried up killing the shrimps as well as other fish.
Besides, water shortage has also occurred due to obstruction in most of the canals in the area. In this situation shrimp farming in the area is under serious threat.
Talking to local farmers, it was learned that most of the shrimp enclosures in the area have dried up due to drought since there had been no rain in the last few months. In addition, due to the rise in temperature, the water in the enclosure became too hot and the fish became infected.
Rui-katal and other fish including shrimp are dying for this. If such hostile weather continues, the farmers will have to face huge losses. In such a situation the farmers have become worried.
Gorachand Ghosh, a shrimp farmer from Durgapur village of the upazila and a local UP member, Vibhas Mondal and Asim Mondal of Shyampara village expressed their frustration and said that such hostile weather has not been seen in the last few years. Due to the long absence of rain this year, most of the shrimp enclosures have dried up. Along with the shrimps other fishes are also dying at a massive rate due to the heat of the surrounding water.
Chitalmari Upazila Fisheries Officer Sohail Mohammad Zillur Rahman Reagan said shrimps have been farmed on 6,890 hectares of enclosure in the upazila this year. Due to the drought and rising temperatures, a huge number of the fish are dying. Besides, water shortage has occurred due to dams in many canals. He opined that if it does not rain soon, the farmers will certainly incur huge losses.