About 25 thousand hectares of aus paddy land including 3500 hectares of seedbeds in villages adjacent to Hakaluki Haor in Kulaura, Juri and Baralekha upazilas of Mouivibazar district has gone under water as heavy downpour inundated fresh areas during the last couple ofdays.

Farmers are worried about the fate of their crops as a large portion of the croplands near the haor has remained underwater for the last two weeks.

Farmers in the same areas had also lost much of their boro crops in the just ended boro season due to stagnation of water from Hakaluki haor.

The flooding has compelled authorities to close 30 primary and high schools and a college.

Local farmers said the water stagnation problem has appeared after construction of an embankment on the haor bank as it blocks the way of drainage of water to the Kushiyara River.

"During last four years, croplands adjacent to Hakaluki Haor sees inundation during every incident of heavy rain

that raises level of haor water. An influential BNP leader constructed a one and half kilometre-long embankment on Hakaluki haor at Pitaitikor Burikiari in Fenchuganj upazila of Sylhet district in 2004. It blocked passage of water from the haor to Kushiyara River. An inadequate 70-metre-wide canal was excavated to drain out the haor water to Kushiyara River," said Siraj Uddin Ahmed Badshah, chairman of Bhukshimul Union Parishad under Kulaura upazila.

"Owners of two brick kilns in Pitaitikor Burikiari area have encroached this canal for easy movement of their vehicles, reducing width of the canal to only 30 metres. Farmers of six upazilas in Mouivibazar and Sylhet districts are suffering due to the water logging problem caused by the situtaion," said Badshah, also a leader of Mouivibazar district unit ofGonotontri Party.

He demanded removal of the embankment to solve the water-logging problem and save the farmers.

Mirjan Ali, president of Nawabganj Bazaar Traders Association, also held construction of embankment at Pitaitikor

Burikiari responsible for sufferings of the farmers on the bank of Hakaluki haor.

Worst affected aus lands are situated in the haor bank villages of Singnath, Guptagram, Bisrakandi, Leurhai, Mirshankar, Dilderpur, Habera, Chhaykapon, Sonato 1 a, Moturganj.Tirkhali, Bade Bhukshimul, Kaleshar, Nabiganj, Silarkandi, hea said.

Deputy director of the Department of Agriculture Extension in Mouivibazar, Md Shahjada said the crops on inundated lands in Kulaura, Juri and Baralekha upazilas will be saved if water recedes within five days.

However, the present weather condition, marked by heavy downpour, shows no sign of receding of water level within a few days.

About 30 primary schools and high schools and a college situated on the bank of Hakaluki haor bank in Kulaura, Juri and Baralekha upazilas have been closed as these institutions went under water, Md Abdul Mojid, district secondary education officer of Mouivibazar told this correspondent on Friday.