PHOTO: MASUK HRIDOY

MASUK HRIDOY, Brahmanbaria

Flash floods have inundated around 372 hectares of boro paddy fields in the haor regions of Brahmanbaria, affecting at least 1,000 farmers, with Nasirnagar upazila bearing the brunt of the damage.

Triggered by several days of heavy rainfall, water levels in the haors rose sharply, submerging low-lying fields almost overnight. Mature crops in Medir Haor and surrounding wetlands went under water before many farmers could harvest them.

Official estimates put the submerged area at 372 hectares, though farmers say the actual losses are higher.

A brief spell of clear weather yesterday prompted a frantic harvesting effort. Farmers rushed to their fields at dawn, cutting paddy while standing in waist- to chest-deep water. However, an acute shortage of labourers slowed progress.

Nasir Mia, a farmer from Sonatola village, said he spent Tk 2 lakh cultivating 25 bighas this season. “Seven to eight bighas are now completely submerged. The water is neck-deep, so there’s no way to harvest. By the time it recedes, everything will be lost,” he said.

Fazar Ali, another farmer, faces similar losses. “I took loans to cultivate. Now I cannot even harvest the crop. I’m worried about how I will repay the debt and support my family,” he said.

According to the upazila agriculture office, about 11,000 hectares were cultivated with boro paddy in Nasirnagar this season. While nearly 70 percent has already been harvested, the remaining crops are now at risk, with around 305 hectares still submerged.

Dr Mostafa Imran Hossain, deputy director of the Department of Agricultural Extension in Brahmanbaria, said farmers in Nasirnagar have suffered the most.

Alongside boro paddy, about 100 hectares of Aus seedbeds, maize, sesame, and vegetables have also been damaged.

“Lists of affected farmers are being prepared. They will be prioritised for government incentives, relief support, and paddy procurement programmes,” he said.