Flower plantations in the district are getting damaged due to inundation of the fields amid excessive rain, much to the worry of around 1500 flower growers in the district.

In the district, 265 hectares of land including 85 hectares in Kaliganj upazila, 65 hectares in Sadar upazila, 30 hectares in Harinakundo, 45 hectares in Moheshpur and 40 hectares in Kotchandpur upazila was brought under flower cultivation this season, said sources of the Department of Agriculture Extension (DAE).

At around 70% of the plantations have already been damaged of the district, they said.

"I cultivated marigold on five bighas at a cost of Tk 1.5 lakh this year. I have sold a portion of the flowers for Tk 1 lakh. The rest would sell for around Tk 4 lakh if the weather remained good. But the recent downpour has flooded all the plots and the flowers are dying," said former UP chairman Abdur Razzak, also a flower grower of Chotoghighati village.

Sharafat Mondol of Baliadanga village said he cultivated flower on one bigha of leased land taken for Tk 20 thousand.

He has sold flowers worth Tk 15 thousand but the remaining ones will die as the plot is now under water.

Islam Hossain, Mollik Mondol, Abdus Salam and Shariful Islam are also facing similar situations.

"At present flowers are selling for good prices but the growers are worried due to dying of the plants due to excessive rain water.  Most of them had taken loan from different NGOs for flower cultivation," said Motiar Rahman, president of flower growers association. 

Shah Akramul Haq, deputy director of DAE in Jhenidah, said the flower growers will incur huge losses as their plots have got inundated due to excessive rain.