Flood fears haunt haor people ahead of Eid

With Eid-ul-Fitr around the corner, people of the flood-ravaged haor areas in Sunamganj are not yet sure about how they are going to celebrate the festival since they are still struggling with fresh floods.

Local sources said the residents of haor areas are in fear as upstream water has broken water crop protection dams one after another in Sunamganj.

Recently, most areas in the district have been severely damaged. The people are spending their days in fear. In this situation, there is no joy in haor ahead of Eid.

“We have been living in constant fear over the last two weeks as the water level is high. As we do not have any other option, we have to stay here,” says one of the residents in the area.

Paddy fields in the haor are submerged. In addition, landslides and cracks have occurred in several dams due to water pressure. These crop protection dams are now under threat.

Haor farmers said crops have been submerged in flood water in many haors. In the haors where water has not yet entered, the farmers have started harvesting paddy. The BRRI-28 variety of paddy is about to be harvested.

However, the BRRI-29 variety is still in the raw and semi-ripe state. Farmers are busy cutting these.

During this time in the pre-pandemic years, the farmers used to be busy doing Eid shopping and harvesting paddy in the fields with a smile. But this time the scenario is the opposite.

Omar Gani, a farmer, said the people of haors had been hit hard. “The tin roofs of many houses have been blown away by storms. Doors are broken. We are in trouble.” Another farmer Habibur Rahman said, “I am afraid of storms when night comes. Strong winds, rains and hails are causing damage to the agricultural crops, including unripe mangoes. The people of haors are terrified and in distress due to nor’wester.”

“I am not happy with Eid this time as I could not buy new clothes for the children,” he added.

Golam Sarwar, a farmer of Shanir Haor, said the paddy of the haor is being harvested fast and houses have been damaged along with the paddy due to nor’wester.

Eid market is not crowded. The number of shoppers at the city’s Surma Market, Madhya Bazar and other shops is very low compared to other years. There are no peasant families in the shops, except the families of the expatriates.

Ratan Roy, proprietor of New Kalki Fashion in Madhya Bazar, said he could not do business for the last two years because of coronavirus. This time he is offering new clothes with high hopes, but the number of buyers is very low. The sinking haors have affected the Eid market, he said.

Deputy Director of Sunamganj Department of Agricultural Extension (DoE) Bimal Chandra Som said paddy harvesting in haor areas is nearing completion.

“Water started flooding the area after the dam built by the Water Development Board in Asanpur area of Jamalganj upazila broke. All the crop protection dams protecting the wetlands have been under pressure for the past 25 days. River water levels also did not decrease significantly during this time. That is why the dam broke.”

“Ninety per cent of the paddy in haor areas has been harvested. In order to save the remaining paddy, geo-bags are being dumped on an emergency basis to stop the inflow of water,” he added.