FROM PAGE 12

paddy. If it stays like this for a few more days, the crop will be completely damaged,” he said.

Md Jamal Uddin, additional director for monitoring and implementation at the DAE Field Service Wing, said preliminary information from seven haor districts shows limited impact so far, with some areas not yet fully submerged.

He added that data collection is ongoing and a final damage assessment will be prepared soon.

According to the Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE) in Sylhet division, at least 3,640 hectares of cropland had been inundated as of Monday -- 3,189 hectares in Sunamganj, 281 hectares in Habiganj, and 170 hectares in Moulvibazar.

However, experts estimate that at least 15,000 hectares of agricultural land across the division have been affected.

Excessive rainfall in upstream Meghalaya and Assam, along with Bangladesh’s northeast, typically triggers flash floods in haor areas, as seen in 2017 and 2022.

This year, however, there have been no significant early hill runoffs. Instead, sustained late-spring rainfall since mid-March has caused waterlogging in low-lying areas. Crop protection dykes are also trapping stagnant water, prolonging the inundation.

Mohammad Omar Faruk, deputy director of the DAE in Sunamganj, said all upazilas except Chhatak are affected.

“The initial expectation was that water would recede once the rain stopped. But canals and water bodies that are usually dry in Chaitra are already full, hampering drainage,” he said.

He added that four consecutive dry spring seasons had encouraged cultivation on previously unused haor lowlands, including water bodies where paddy farming is officially prohibited. “These lands have now been among the first to go under.”

A Bangladesh Rice Research Institute expert said crop losses depend mainly on the duration of water stagnation and crop maturity, warning that fields submerged for more than 7–10 days face a high risk of rot.

The crisis has also triggered inter-village tensions in Sunamganj, mainly over embankments which hinder water flow from the haors.

On Friday, Paribesh O Haor Unnayan Sangstha organised a human chain in front of the Central Shaheed Minar in Sylhet city, demanding sustainable management of the haor ecosystem.

“Embankments are being built without scientific research or surveys, causing waterlogging and damaging the haor ecosystem,” said Kasmir Reza, president of the organisation and general secretary of Bangladesh Poribesh Andolon (BAPA) in Sylhet.

He called for sluice gates, high-capacity pumps, and systematic excavation of haor canals and rivers based on scientific studies.

Sunamganj Deputy Commissioner Dr Mohammad Ilias Mia said the submerged area currently accounts for less than two percent of total cultivated land.

Upazila-level committees have been formed to allow controlled embankment breaches, on the condition that farmers rebuild them later, he said.

“A 700-metre canal excavation is underway in waterlogged areas of Sadar upazila, while high-capacity pumps are being deployed in Pagnar haor in Jamalganj with support from the Bangladesh Agricultural Development Corporation (BADC),” he added.

DAE data shows that 497,653 hectares of Boro paddy have been cultivated across Sylhet division this season -- 276,848 hectares in haor areas and 220,805 hectares in non-haor areas.

The haor region contributes about 15 percent of Bangladesh’s annual rice production.

Dr Md Mosharraf Hossain, additional director of the DAE in Sylhet division, said the submerged paddy has not yet been declared a total loss.

“If conditions improve, a significant portion can still be saved. Harvesting has already begun on a small scale—182 hectares have been cut so far. Full-scale harvesting is expected from Pahela Baishakh,” he said.

Agriculture Minister Mohammad Amin Ur Rashid on Sunday directed officials to increase vigilance over the Boro harvest in haor areas, monitor weather conditions, keep harvesters ready, and arrange agricultural labourers to speed up harvesting.