Rajshahi, July 17: Around 11,682 hectares of croplands have become submerged by the floodwaters in different districts under Rajshahi division till Wednesday last, officials said.Various standing crops like newly transplanted aush and aman paddy, aman seedbeds, direct seeded aman and vegetables were affected amid rising of water in different rivers caused by heavy rainfall and onrushing of water from upstream.
According to sources of the Department of Agriculture Extension (DAE), 4,725 hectares of aush paddy, 2,700 hectares of direct seeded aman, 1,932 hectares of transplanted aman and 503 hectares of aman seedbeds were either completely or partially affected by the deluge in the districts of Rajshahi, Naogaon, Natore, Bogura and Sirajgonj.
“We have, so far, recorded standing crops on 7,542 hectares of land affected in Rajshahi, Naogaon and Natore districts,” said Sudhendra Nath Roy, Additional Director of DAE, Rajshahi.
Sources in the Flood Forecasting and Warning Centre said many of the existing rivers in the division were recorded flowing above the danger marks at Shingra, Atrai, Naogaon, Sariakandi, Sirajgonj, Baghabari and Kajipur points on Thursday.
Flood situation has further deteriorated in Atrai upazila of Naogaon district with inundation of new more areas caused by damaging of flood control embankment and road at many areas like Jatamrul, Panchupur Palpara, Boithakhali, Vartentulia and Madhugurnoi.
The water of Atrai River was flowing 70 centimeter above the danger mark on Thursday. Most of the areas of Shibpur village adjacent to Upazila Parishad have been plunged under water making thousands of people waterlogged. Many of them have taken shelter on the embankment or on elevated roadside to get rid of the flood.
The onrush of water is flowing through Sadupur point of Atrai-Naogaon road and on Atrai -Porakhali road. Water is also learnt to flow over the Kasiabari sluice gate and on places of Atrai-Bandhaikhara road.
Movement of all sorts of vehicles through the road has been restricted due to the flood. Movements of heavy vehicles through Atrai-Naogaon, Atrai-Bandhaikhara, Atrai-Kaliganj and Atrai-Singra have also been suspended temporarily by the concerned authorities.
Upazila Agriculture Officer Kaosar Hossain said standing crops on around 2,057 hectares of land were inundated by the floodwater caused by erosion of embankment in the upazila.
Thousands of people have also become marooned and they took shelter on flood protection embankments leaving behind their houses.
Upazila Nirbahi Officer Sanaul Islam said each of the 1,800 affected people was already given 10 kilograms of rice as relief.
Like Atrai, large numbers of villagers have become waterlogged after eroding flood protection embankment at seven points in Manda Upazila in Naogaon district. Various seasonal crops on around 1,620 hectares of land in the upazila were also affected as those were inundated.
Around 50 points of the flood protection embankment on both sides of Atrai and Fakirni rivers have become vulnerable.
Kazi Tomal Hossain, a local journalist, told BSS that communication on the Manda-Atrai regional road has become disrupted following devouring of seven points of the embankment.
Large numbers of people of the area have become marooned, he said adding, local public representatives and volunteers were seen struggling to restore the embankment to protect their localities from onrush of floodwater.
In Sirajganj district, standing crops on around 3,700 hectares of land of 28,712 farmers were affected as the district’s Jamuna River was flowing above danger marks at all the Sirajgonj, Baghabari and Kajipur points.
Crops on around 340 hectares of land of 2,180 farmers have, so far, been affected by the flood water in Bogura district as its Jamuna River was following 124 centimeter above the danger mark at Sariakandi point.
