Flash floods damage 40 pc paddy in Sylhet, Sunamganj, Moulvibazar
Surma, Kushiyara flowing above danger levels: Breaches at many points
Staff Correspondent, Sylhet
Flash floods triggered by three days' rain and onrush of water from upper reaches across the border have inundated abut 40 per cent of IRRI-Boro croplands in Sylhet, Sunamganj and Moulvibazar districts. Official sources yesterday said the ready-for-harvest crops are now under water. The badly affected areas are in Gowainghat, Jakiganj, Jaintapur, Beanibazar, Golapganj, Fenchuganj, Kanaighat and Companyganj upazilas. Eighty per cent paddy fields in Gowainghat have been inundated. The Sylhet Deputy Comm-issioner and the Water Development officials on Saturday sent urgent messages to higher authorities stating the situation. Ruling party Whip Fazlul Haque Aspia and the Additional Director General of the Water Development Board (WDB) visited some of the affected haor areas in Sunamganj district on Friday. The Surma and the Kushiyara rivers have swelled abnormally, causing breaches at many points and aggravating the situation, Water Development Board (WDB) officials said. Such abnormal rise at this time did not happen in recent years, an official said. The Surma is flowing above danger levels at all points except one in Sylhet city. It was flowing 205 cms above the danger level at Amolshid near the Indo-Bangladesh border Saturday noon. This is the highest level recorded at this time of the season in many years, WDB sources said. The Kushiyara and all other rivers are also flowing above their danger levels at all points, they said. Landslide had stopped traffic on the Beanibazar-Dhakadakshin road for several hours Friday. The extent of crop damage in Sylhet may cross over 100 crore taka, an official estimated. In Sunamganj district, water is flowing through breaches in embankments of 40 small and big haors in Derai, Shulla, Dharampasha, Chhatak upazilas. A WDB official said the average height of embankments is 7.5 metres, which cannot sustain the pressure of rolling waters. Paddy worth about Tk 400 crore have gone under water, the official added. In Tahirpur upazila, Boro crops in Matian, Lova, Balga, Jinaria and Kechuria are under water for the last four days. In some areas, farmers are guarding the embankments day and night. In Chhatak upazila, crops on over 20,000 acres of land have gone under water and a good number of houses have been damaged. In Moulvibazar, Boro crops on over 20,000 acres have been inundated.
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