Floods in Lalmonirhat, Kurigram: Crops worth Tk 134cr damaged

Crops on around 16,383 hectares of land have been damaged due to floods in Lalmonirhat and Kurigram districts. "Aush" paddy, jute, maize, nuts and various vegetables have been damaged in the floodwater.

The agriculture department has assessed the damage to be worth Tk 134 crore.  

A total of 24,000 farmers have been affected due to the flood in the two districts.

Sahidar Rahman (62), a flood hit farmer of Brahmaputra shoal at Dhanarchar village at Roumari upazila of Kurigram, said he has suffered a loss of about Tk 75,000.

Sahidur had planted the crops with a loan and he is not sure how he will repay the loan. He was not prepared for the flood as it hit in advance, he said.

Afzal Hossain (60), a flood-hit farmer of Teesta shoal at Rajpur village in Lalmonirhat Sadar upazila, said the flood damaged his aush paddy on three-bighas of land and vegetables on four bighas of land. He has incurred a loss of Tk 1.5 lakh.

According to the agriculture department, 15,500 farmers have been affected by the floods in Kurigram. The floods have also resulted in a loss of about Tk 128 crore.

Additionally, crops on 201 hectares of land has been completely damaged in Lalmonirhat. Crops on 182 hectares of land has been partially damaged. It has caused a loss of Tk 6 crore. The number of affected farmers is 8,500.

Abdur Rashid, deputy director of Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE) in Kurigram, said that a list of those affected by the floods had been prepared and sent to the concerned ministry.

The government has not yet said what steps it will take to rehabilitate the affected farmers. However, distribution of fertilisers and seeds as incentives among the affected farmers is going on.

Hamidur Rahman, deputy director of the DAE in Lalmonirhat, said most of the farmers affected by the floods cultivated crops with loans. He hoped that the government will take necessary steps to rehabilitate these farmers.