As water levels start rising in the Haor basin areas of Sunamganj, Water Development Board have been urging farmers in the area to harvest their paddy as soon as possible.

The WDB, using loudspeakers, started making the announcement asking the farmers to harvest their paddy as early as they can, our Moulvibazar correspondent reports quoting Abu Bakar Siddique, executive engineer of Water Development Board in Sunamganj told The Daily Star.

The height of the embankment made to protect crops in the haor areas is 6.5 metres and the danger level of water in the haor is 8.5 metres, said Abu Bakar Siddique.

“The water level in the haor basin is increasing. On April 19, the water level in the area was measured at one metre, on April 20 it was 1.74m and yesterday it was 2.74m,” the official said.

The water level is being measured at Shulobhor Point of Surma River in Sunamganj, said Abu Bakar Siddique.

It is raining in Meghalaya of India as well as in Sunamganj, so the water level could increase suddenly, Abu Bakar alerted.

All upazila nirbahi officers in the district have also been alerted of the matter.

Meanwhile, ninety percent of the paddy in the haor areas has matured and is ready to be harvested, said Swapan Kumar Shaha, deputy director of Department of Agriculture Extension in Sunamganj.

Almost thirty percent of the paddy has already been harvested and it would take another 15 days to complete harvesting the rest, said Swapan Kumar.

Last year, sudden onset of flash floods wreaked havoc on the haor areas of Sunamganj destroying acres of cropland.