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Upazila in Khulna has experienced severe devastation from recent heavy rain, resulting in a loss of over Tk 9.4 crore in the fisheries sector.
According to the Upazila Fisheries Office, after several days of heavy rain, 550 enclosures across 155 hectares of land in four unions of Digholia Upazila were submerged, washing away 160 tonnes of white fish (fin fish), 45 tonnes of shrimp, and 8 million fry.
The estimated value of the washed-away white fish (including Rui, Katla, and Mrigel) is approximately Tk 2.70 crore. The estimated value of the washed-away shrimp is around Tk 3.20 crore, while the 8 million fry are estimated to be worth about Tk 3 crore.
Additionally, the damage to infrastructure, including ponds, enclosures, and sluice gates, is estimated at Tk 50 lakh. Altogether, the total estimated loss is around Tk 9 crore.
Lakhohati village in the upazila is one of the key areas in Khulna for fry production and fish farming. Ninety per cent of the people in this village are involved in fry production and fish farming.
Recently, due to heavy rainfall, 95 per cent of the fish enclosures in Lakhohati village, as well as in the neighbouring fish farming areas of Gajirhat, Barakpur, Digholia, Senhati unions, have been submerged.
Sheikh KamrulIslam, a fish farmer from Lakhohati village and a local UP member, said, “My two enclosures, totalling 6.5 bighas in the Brahmagati and Lakhohati mouzas, have been submerged. I had 70 to 80 maunds of fry, all of which have been washed away, resulting in a loss of around Tk 7-8 lakh.
“I've been farming fish since I was born, and my father and grandfather were all fish farmers. In 2000, my enclosure was once submerged due to rainwater, and now, after 23 or 24 years, it has happened again.”
Mocharul Molla, a fish farmer from Madhabpur village in Barakpur Union, has been farming fish on approximately 17 acres of land for 21 years.
Molla said, "In 1995, I went to Saudi Arabia in search of a livelihood. After seven years, I returned to the country in 2002. Since 2003, I have been farming fish on around 17 acres of land, which I inherited and purchased myself.
"Due to several days of continuous heavy rainfall, all four of my enclosures in Kamargati and Radhamadhabpur mouzas have been submerged. Around Tk 10-12 lakh worth of white fish has been washed away. This is the first time since I started fish farming that all my enclosures have been flooded, and all the fish have been lost. It's not just me—every enclosure in Madhabpur Beel has been submerged.”
Like all the other farmers, Molla also uncertain about how he will recover from the losses.
Sohel Sheikh, another fish farmer from the same village, said, "Three of my four enclosures in Kamargati and Radhamadhabpur mouzas have also been submerged, and all the fish have been washed away. I've been farming freshwater shrimp for 7 or 8 years and switched to white fish farming 3 or 4 years ago. The estimated value of the lost fish is around Tk 12-14 lakh."
Md Haidar Ali Molla, a fish farmer and local UP member from the same village, said, "I have around 250 to 300 fish enclosures in Madhabpur village, and all of them have been submerged. There's knee-deep water over the enclosures, and fish worth nearly Tk two lakh have been washed away. This year, I've suffered losses from every angle. I can't even begin to think how I will recover from this loss."
He said, "Due to the lack of maintenance of the Nandanprotap and Mominpur canals, the water in our area cannot drain properly, which causes rainwater to accumulate."
A fish farmer from Barakpur village Gazi Murad Hossain, who has been involved in fish farming for 30 years, said, "Two of my three enclosures in Boaliachar and Barakpur have been submerged. Fish worth about Tk2-2.5 lakh have been washed away. It’s not just me—every enclosure in the region has been flooded. I haven’t seen such heavy rainfall in many years."
Nazmul Molla, another prominent fish farmer from Madhabpur Beel, owns six enclosures spread over 60 bighas, which were stocked with white fish. All his fish have been washed away, resulting in a loss of approximately Tk 12-14 lakh.
Like Nazmul Molla, over 500 fish farmers in Madhabpur, Lakhohati, Barakpur, Boaliachar, Lakkhikathi, Kamargati, Arua, Dighalia, Brahmagati, Panigati, Haji Gram, and Mominpur Beel have had their enclosures submerged, with all their fish washed away.
Digholia Upazila Senior Fisheries Officer, Md Manjurul Islam, said, “The continuous heavy rainfall over the past few days has caused more than 500 fish enclosures in four unions of the upazila to be submerged. We have already assessed the damages and reported them to the higher authorities.
“Additionally, we are continuously providing various types of advice to the fish farmers in the aftermath of the flood. If any government assistance is provided, it will be quickly distributed among the fish farmers.”
