Floodwaters recede after three days leaving Amon crops ravaged in Lalmonirhat

Most farmers lack seedlings or funds for replanting as homes and schools suffer water damage

As the floodwaters of the Teesta River slowly recede after three relentless days, the scars left behind across Lalmonirhat’s riverbanks have begun to surface -- raw and unforgiving.

A walk along the water’s edge reveals the aftermath: broken fences, sodden furniture, courtyards smeared with thick layers of mud, and the silent despair etched into the faces of farmers whose fields now lie barren.

This season, two phases of transplanted Amon crops have already been damaged by floods, leaving Teesta-side farmers anxious.

With river levels falling, erosion has begun along the banks.

Bangladesh Water Development Board’s Executive Engineer Sunil Kumar confirmed that vulnerable areas are being marked for enhanced monitoring.

Several days of continuous rain and hilly runoff caused the Teesta to rise above the danger mark.

The third wave inundated low-lying areas along the river’s left bank, leaving thousands stranded.

On Friday afternoon, water began receding at Dalia Point, gradually revealing the flood damage.

Travelling towards Goddimari in Hatibandha Upazila, the pungent smell of rotting Aman seedlings rises from the roadside.

Fields that should have been green with paddy have turned into dark, slimy patches, while much land has been buried under sand.

Farmer Md Nuruzzaman stands beside his ruined field. The faint sunlight reveals the damp smell of the crops.

He said, “I planted two rounds of paddy seedlings on three bighas. Everything has been lost in the flood. I don’t even have money to buy new seedlings.”

As floodwaters recede, many families have returned home. Yet fresh problems await them. Mud covers the floors, furniture has been ruined, and wet cooking fuel prevents stoves from lighting.

Day labourer Shafiqul Islam from Kaliganj Upazila said, “We stayed at school shelters for three days. Now we are back home, but the house is uninhabitable. Everything is wet, and insects have infested the place.”

At Sindurna Government Primary School, tables and chairs are swollen from water damage.

Teachers said classes have resumed but children cannot sit properly.

The school building also shows signs of erosion, raising fears of collapse.

Hamidur Rahman, a farmer in Gobardhan area, Mahishkhola Union, Aditmari Upazila, said, “Two bighas of paddy are completely destroyed. We have no seedlings left. Even if we bought seeds now, there’s no time to replant. Farmers are left with no option but to suffer.”

According to local sources, most farmers are now without seedlings and cannot afford to buy any anew.