Under the influence of continuous rain and water from upstream, river levels in Kishoreganj have risen in some places and fallen in others. It rained all day on Saturday but there was no rain today. With the sky still overcast, however, farmers' fear that their paddy will be submerged has not gone away.
River levels
According to the Kishoreganj Water Development Board at 9am on 3 May, the Dhanu-Baulai river at the Itna point rose to 3.16 metres, 10 centimetres higher than the previous day. The Meghna at Chamraghat stood at 2.78 metres, up 5 centimetres.
The Kalni river at Austagram fell to 2.40 metres, down 5 centimetres, and the Meghna at Bhairab Bazar fell to 1.77 metres, down 3 centimetres.
The Water Development Board said all rivers are still flowing below the danger level, by 110 to 400 centimetres at different points. There are fears, however, that river levels could rise again if rain and the pressure of upstream water continue, submerging more boro paddy in the haors and adding to farmers' losses.
The Nikli weather office said 37.2 millimetres of rain was recorded in the district in the previous 24 hours.
Paddy rotting and sprouting
Local farmers said ripe paddy on thousands of hectares in the haor region has already been submerged, leaving them in deep uncertainty about bringing the crop home. With rain since yesterday, paddy kept on the drying yards cannot be dried, and if it is not dried properly it may rot. Many farmers' paddy is rotting, and in many cases seedlings have sprouted.
Md Sajjad Hossain, executive engineer of the Kishoreganj Water Development Board, said the situation is being monitored around the clock. The local administration and farmers have been asked to stay alert to possible risks, and farmers had earlier been advised to harvest their paddy quickly.
Dr Sadikur Rahman, deputy director of the district Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE), said field-level data up to Saturday afternoon showed 9,045 hectares under water, with the greatest damage in Itna and Austagram upazilas.
Source: Jagonews24. First published in Bengali on The Agro News.
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