Heavy Rain Floods Haors, Farmers Face Dual Crisis Over Paddy

Heavy rainfall has triggered flooding in the haor (wetland) regions of Bangladesh, leaving farmers in a dual crisis as they struggle to harvest and dry their Boro paddy. Farmers in Netrokona and Moulvibazar districts report that unseasonal rains since mid-March have prevented them from cutting mature paddy, and now much of the crop is submerged.

Farmer Shabuj Sardar of Gobindashree Union in Netrokona's Madan upazila said, 'The rain started early. I can't harvest the paddy on my 32 kathas of land. It rained all through Chaitra, so we couldn't work.' He noted that Boro paddy is usually harvested before Boishakh, but this year continuous rain during Chaitra left the crop standing in water.

The Flood Forecasting and Warning Centre reported that Netrokona and Moulvibazar are already experiencing floods, with warnings issued for Habiganj, Sylhet, and Sunamganj. Heavy to very heavy rain is forecast for the next three days.

Prime Minister Tarique Rahman has assured assistance to affected farmers. During a parliamentary session, he said, 'We will locate the affected farmers whose crops have been destroyed and try to provide support for the next three months.' He added that local administrations in three districts had been instructed to take measures based on weather forecasts.

Farmers express deep distress. Sardar lamented, 'Because of the rain, I can't find laborers to work. The paddy is ripe, but vehicles can't reach. Some is cut, but most remains.' Osman Sheikh of Khaliajuri upazila said he cultivated 121 bighas of Boro paddy but could only harvest 36 bighas before the rains. 'The rest, 85 bighas, is still in the field,' he said.

Agricultural officials confirm significant losses. Delwar Hossain, agriculture officer in Khaliajuri, said 51% of the upazila's 20,232 hectares of Boro paddy had been harvested before the rains. However, 2,780 hectares are now submerged, and another 3,851 hectares are damaged, with potential losses of 104 crore taka. 'The submerged paddy will decompose in five to seven days,' he warned.

Netrokona's deputy director of agriculture, Amirul Islam, reported that 4,712 hectares of paddy have been affected across the district, with financial losses estimated at 62.65 crore taka. In Sunamganj, deputy director Omar Faruk said 46% of Boro paddy has been harvested, with only 2% damaged so far, but warned that continued rain or flash floods from India could worsen the situation.