Heavy rainfall has submerged 7,000 hectares of cropland in Kishoreganj, Bangladesh, ruining crops and devastating farmers ahead of harvest season.
Thousands of farmers in Kishoreganj, the city and headquarters of Kishoreganj District and Kishoreganj Sadar Upazila in Dhaka Division, Bangladesh, are grappling with severe losses as continuous rainfall inundates nearly 7,000 hectares of cropland, devastating standing crops just days before harvest.
Over the past several days, the district has received a total of 160 millimeters of rainfall, submerging vast expanses of haor land and leaving fields of paddy submerged. The situation has left farmers in a state of despair as they watch their months of hard work washed away.
Paddy fields, which were on the brink of harvest, have now been submerged, leaving many farmers with nothing but their losses. Some areas of the haor region are still partially visible above water, but the flooding has severely damaged large portions of this essential crop.
For many farmers, this is particularly devastating, as it is the peak of the harvesting season. Without the ability to dry and store their crops, much of the harvested paddy is now at risk of sprouting. Consequently, farmers are being forced to sell their damaged crops at reduced prices, further deepening their financial distress.
“I had a good yield this year, but the continuous rain has ruined everything. Now, I don’t know how I will repay my loans,” said one distraught farmer.
The situation is even worse for farmers who had borrowed money to finance their seasonal crop, as their only source of income has been destroyed.
Authorities are taking steps to assess the extent of the damage. Dr. Md Sadikur Rahman, the deputy director of the Department of Agricultural Extension in Kishoreganj, stated that the department is actively inspecting the affected areas. A comprehensive list of damaged lands and affected farmers is being prepared and will be forwarded to higher authorities for assistance.
“We are working on identifying all the affected farmers. We hope that they will be covered by government incentive programs,” Dr. Rahman said.
This year, Kishoreganj brought 168,262 hectares of land under Boro paddy cultivation, which has now been significantly impacted by the prolonged rain and flooding.
