Over 6,000 shrimp, other fish enclosures washed away
Over six thousand shrimp and sweet water fish enclosures in Bagerhat were washed away by tidal waves amid incessant rain in the last three days, reports our correspondent.
District Fisheries Officer Bazlur Rashid said, farmers incurred a loss of Tk 4.6 crore as 6,271 ponds and shrimp enclosures in the district washed away due to tidal surge and heavy rain.
Farmers fear an irreparable loss of Aus paddy if the water does not recede from 4,500 hactares of cropland within the next four to five days.
Md Abdul Gafur, deputy director of district agriculture office, said boro crops on 1,175 hactares in Kachua, 2,500 hactares in Moralganj, 400 hactares in Sharankhola and 425 hactares in Chiltamari upazila have gone under water.
The Water Development Board (WDB) has, meanwhile, asked for Tk 1.25cr on emergency basis for repair of several points of two kilometre area of the two embankments in four upazilas.
Executive engineer of Bagerhat WDB Khalilur Rahman said 18 points of the two embankments covering Sharankhola, Morelganj, Sadar and Rampal upazilas have been marked ‘more vulnerable’ to damages during the on-going rainy season.
In Noakhali, Hatiya people are worried as the upazila flood protection embankment has developed cracks during the tidal surge and rain, reports our correspondent.
Sources at Noakhali Water Development Board said, delay in repair of some points has increased the risk of collapse of the dyke.
Executive engineer Habibur Rahman said usually the authorities concerned repair the embankment before every rainy season. But this year the authorities could not carry out the repair work in some damaged portions of the embankment.
Although the repair work started a few months ago we had to stop the work for fund crisis, he said.
Sources said, a part of the 10-kilometre embankment at Tamaruddi Bazar near the upazila headquarters has developed big cracks and potholes. The embankment also faces soil erosion, they said.
The executive engineer expressed the fear that rise in Meghna water level during the rainy season or full moon will pose a serious threat to the embankment.
Upazila chairman Prof Wali Ullah said the damaged embankment is becoming a big cause of concern for the Hatiya dwellers. He urged the government to take necessary steps immediately to save people and property in the coming days of rainy season.
Courtesy of The Daily Star
