Gopalganj floods submerge 306 hectares, vegetable farmers worst hit

More than 1,300 vegetable farmers have been affected across five Upazilas

Heavy rainfall over the past week has submerged 306 hectares of cropland in Gopalganj, inundating paddy, jute and vegetable fields and leaving farmers counting losses, with vegetable growers the worst hit.

Vegetable fields covering 85 hectares across five Upazilas have gone under water, affecting 1,360 farmers, according to Md Mamunur Rahman, deputy director of the Department of Agricultural Extension's Gopalganj Khamar Bari.

He said rain between Jul 5 and Jul 12 submerged Aus paddy, broadcast Aman, chillies, sesame, banana, cucumber, papaya, ginger, maize, summer onion, jute and various vegetables across 306 hectares, leaving farmers in difficulty.

Robiul Islam, a farmer from Dakshin Gobra village in Gopalganj Sadar Upazila, said he cultivated ridge gourd, bitter gourd and yard-long beans on 20 decimals of land.

"Water has accumulated around the base of the plants due to continuous rain. The roots are rotting and the plants are dying. This will cost me Tk 15,000 to Tk 20,000."

Amit Hasan of Poddarer Char village in Gobra Union said he cultivated chillies on 52 decimals of land.

"The chilli plants' roots are rotting in the rain," he said, estimating losses of about Tk 10,000.

Md Ramjan, from Chargobra village in the same union, said he cultivated chillies on 25 decimals.

"Excessive rain has caused blight in the chilli plants. Even if I sell what's left, I expect to lose around Tk 5,000."

Sheikh Azizur Rahman, another farmer from the village, said Aus paddy on 100 decimals of land had been submerged.

"But the water has now receded and the seedlings are starting to recover. Since these are flood-tolerant varieties, I don't expect major damage," he said.

Fellow farmer Safayet Molla said aus paddy on 52 decimals of his land had gone under water and could leave him facing losses of around Tk 15,000.

Mafroz Akter, agriculture officer for Gopalganj Sadar Upazila, however, said widespread losses were unlikely.

"There are not many crops in the fields at this time of year. Although some have been affected by the rain, the damage is not extensive.

"Water is receding quickly. We're advising farmers on how to manage the situation. The extent of the damage will be known in two to three weeks."

Raj Kumar Roy, sub-assistant agriculture officer for Gobra Union, said Aus paddy had been cultivated on six hectares in his block, with two hectares submerged.

"The water is receding and the paddy is recovering. Vegetables were cultivated on less than a hectare, with about half affected, including chillies, ridge gourd, yard-long beans and bitter gourd. I've begun assessing the damage."

Abu Sufian, officer-in-charge of the Gopalganj Met Office, said the district recorded 397.2mm of rainfall between Jul 5 and Jul 12.

Rain eased briefly during the period but could intensify again from Thursday under the influence of the monsoon, he said.

He added that intermittent rainfall was likely to continue throughout the month.

Meanwhile, District Fisheries Officer Md Kamrul Hasan said the district's fisheries sector had escaped damage despite the prolonged rainfall.

He said Gopalganj, a low-lying district rich in wetlands, has 229 Beels, 10 rivers, six baors and 334 canals, producing at least 42,000 tonnes of fish annually.

"So far, we have received no reports of ponds or fish enclosures being submerged or fish escaping."

DAE’s Mamunur said water had started receding from farmland as rainfall eased.

"Our field workers are visiting affected areas to assess the damage and prepare a list of affected farmers," he said, adding that the overall loss assessment should be completed within the next 15 working days.