Low-lying areas of Moulvibazar flooded by hill and upstream water

Due to continuous rain for several days and upstream mountain water, the water of the Juri river in Moulvibazar is flowing 97 cm above the danger level. However, according to the Water Development Board, the water of other rivers is below the danger level. According to the Moulvibazar Water Development Board, the water of the Manu river is flowing 204 cm below the danger level this Thursday (April 30) morning. The water of the Dhalai river is 273 cm below the danger level.
The water of the Kushiyara river is gradually rising. While the water of this river was 241 cm below the danger level yesterday, Wednesday, it is flowing 235 cm below the danger level today. The water of the Juri, the only river in the district, is flowing above the danger level. Last Tuesday, the water of this river was flowing 103 cm above the danger level. Today, the water level has decreased slightly and it is flowing 97 cm above the danger level.
Khaled Bin Walid, executive engineer of Moulvibazar Water Development Board, said, “The four rivers in Moulvibazar originate from upstream. Therefore, when it rains, the water quickly flows downstream, creating flash floods. The good news is that the rain has decreased since last Tuesday. As a result, the risk of flooding has also decreased.” The continuous heavy rains and landslides from the hills coming down from upstream have flooded vast areas of the haor and low-lying areas of Moulvibazar. In such sudden situations during the paddy harvesting season, Boro paddy has suffered extensive damage. Farmers are extremely worried as they are unable to harvest the crop. The farmers said that the continuous rains of the last few days have caused water to accumulate in various areas, creating a situation like an early flood. As a result, the haor areas of the district as well as vast areas of the low-lying areas have been submerged under water. According to the District Agricultural Extension Department, Boro paddy has been cultivated… This season, 27,355 hectares of the 62,400 hectares of land in Moulvibazar district are located in haor areas. About 77 percent of the paddy in the haor has been harvested, but the rest of the paddy is now at risk.
An inspection of Keola Haor in Kamalganj Upazila found that due to continuous rain and hill slopes, water has risen rapidly and submerged about 1,000 hectares of Boro paddy. Similarly, paddy fields in haors and low-lying areas of Rajnagar, Kulaura and Sadar Upazilas have been flooded. Anwar Khan, a farmer of Keola Haor, said that the paddy in the haor was submerged during harvesting. Many of us have taken loans to cultivate. Now we do not know how to repay that loan.
Juned Mia, a farmer of Hajipur Union in Kulaura Upazila, said, “It is all over. We have almost spent Tk 27,000 per acre.” Paddy fields submerged during harvest. Abdus Sabur, a farmer from Hakaluki Haor area, said, “I worked hard all year to cultivate paddy. I bought seeds and fertilizers in the rest. The paddy that I had worked so hard to cultivate, got submerged before it could be harvested. Now I don’t know how to run my family or repay my loans.”
The Srimangal Meteorological Observatory reported that 290 mm of rainfall has been recorded in the region in the last five days. It has also been predicted that this rainfall may continue till May 2. Deputy Director of the Moulvibazar District Agricultural Extension Department, Md. Jalal Uddin, said that paddy harvesting in the haor is almost at its final stage. Farmers have been advised to harvest paddy quickly as per the weather forecast. Some low-lying areas have already been flooded and paddy fields have been submerged. However, the extent of the damage has not been determined yet.