Home ›› 16 Sep 2021 ›› Nation
The ongoing flood has wreaked havoc across five upazilas of Faridpur, leaving countless people homeless.
The Padma, Madhumati, and Arial Khan rivers have been devouring their homesteads, belonging and properties for the past couple of weeks.
These flood-hit people, mainly from Sadar, Charbhadrasan, Sadarpur, Madhukhali, Bhanga and Alfadanga, are now in a dire strait without any means of income or government assistance as they continue to spend their days under the open skies.
The rivers have devoured over 2,000 hectares of cropland in the last 25 days.
Of them, 1,007 hectares of Aush and Ropa paddy, 76 hectares of vegetables, 50 acres of green chillis and 27 hectares of banana orchard have been submerged and ruined in the floodwater, said the Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE) sources.
Partha Pratim Saha, an executive engineer of Faridpur Water Development Board, told The Business Post that although the flood water has been receding for the last four to five days, some of the rivers were still flowing above the danger line till Friday (September 10).
Mostaquzzaman, chairman of North Channel union of Faridpur’s Sadar upazila, told the Business Post, “Croplands comprising Aush paddy and vegetables were hit the worst by the floods. Upon contacting the DAE office, they said they are going to help after assessing the damage.”
Echoing his remarks, Mehedi Hasan Mintu, chairman of Dikrir Char of Sadar upazila and Shahidul Islam, chairman of Madhukhali upazila, said that since the area is surrounded by the ferocious river Padma, they fall victim to the flood every year.
“This year, most of our croplands went underwater and got ruined,” said Chairman Mintu.
He told The Business Post that if the government does not assist the farmers, they will become destitute after losing their crops.
Faridpur DAE Deputy Director Dr Hazrat Ali said: “It is true that flood badly affects the croplands. However, after it ends, the croplands become more fertile, and farmers can benefit from it.”
“We will provide the farmers with black legume seeds after the flood water recedes as incentives. I hope they can mitigate their losses with it,” added the DAE official.
Addressing the issue, Faridpur Deputy Commissioner Atul Sarker, told The Business Post that they have been providing loans at minimal interest rates to farmers and were making a list of the flood-hit people.
“We will surely help the flood victims,” added the DC.
