S M Suruj Ali, Habiganj : Sudden floods have submerged around 11,500 hectares of land in Habiganj, causing losses estimated at approximately Tk 350 crore.
According to the Department of Agricultural Extension, the government has already taken relief and agricultural incentive initiatives to support affected farmers.
This year, Boro rice was cultivated on 123,844 hectares of land across various haors in Habiganj district. So far, about 68 percent of the paddy has been harvested. In higher areas, 25 percent of harvesting has been completed, but continuous rain has caused harvested paddy to rot because it could not be dried properly.
Meanwhile, farmers are struggling as they are not receiving fair prices while trying to sell immature paddy. They have demanded government incentives along with fair market prices for rice.
The production target this season was set at 794,400 metric tons of paddy, from which approximately 529,600 metric tons of rice were expected to be produced. The estimated market value was around Tk 2,383.20 crore.
Confirming the information, Additional Deputy Director of the Habiganj Department of Agricultural Extension, Dipak Kumar Pal, said that paddy worth Tk 209 crore was destroyed after being submerged, while another Tk 134 crore worth of paddy was damaged by rain after harvesting.
The administration has finalized a list of 21,000 flood-affected farmers. Under the Ministry of Disaster Management and Relief, these farmers will receive government assistance for the next three months. A government procurement drive has also begun to ensure fair prices for paddy.
Habiganj District Food Controller Jyotibikash Tripura said the district has set a procurement target of 8,090 metric tons of paddy and nearly 17,000 metric tons of rice. He added that this collection drive would directly benefit farmers.
Executive Engineer of the Bangladesh Water Development Board in Habiganj, Sayedur Rahman, said that due to the absence of rainfall since the afternoon of April 4, water levels in the Khowai and Kushiyara rivers have been receding. Currently, the Khowai River is flowing 157 centimeters below the danger level, while the Kushiyara River is flowing 177 centimeters below the danger level. However, despite the falling river water levels, waterlogging in the haor areas remains unchanged.
The affected areas in the district include Baniachang, Ajmiriganj, Nabiganj, and Lakhai upazilas.