BOGURA, Aug 17: Flood situations in five upazilas of the district have improved with the Jamuna's water flowing below the danger mark.
Yet different chars in the district have been turned into deserted lands with a huge devastation.
The flood washed away many houses in the char areas. The croplands have been covered with thick salinity.
Hit by three times of flooding in one and a half months, croplands of 7,362 hectares in five upazilas of Bogura have turned desert-looking. Crops of around Tk 80 crore were damaged. As a result, 49,378 farmers in the region have fallen in tension.
District agriculture officials said they will be able to stand again if there is government assistance. Already, incentives have been allocated for the victims to recover damages, they disclosed.
An official of Department of Agriculture Extension (DAE) in the district Md. Mahsin said, this year's flood has damaged Aush paddy of 21,903 tonnes, different vegetables, jute, Aman saplings, chilli and maize in Sariakandi, Sonatola, Dhunot, Sherpur and Gabtoli upazilas.
One Kasem Ali of Cornibari Char at Sariakandi Upazila is hopeful that under-government assistance, the affected farmers numbering over 49,000 will be able to recover.
Agriculture officials in the district assured that for recovering, the farmers will get government incentives.
According to the DAE, the flood has damaged transplanted Aman saplings of 44,254 pons (one pon means 80 bundles), Aush on 2,819 hectare land, vegetables on 117 ha, jute on 4,279 ha, and Aman saplings on 109 ha, chilli on 5,000 ha and maize on 33 ha.
Meanwhile, flood-affected people are trying to repair their houses. The victims who have lost houses have been listed for giving assistance.
The list was made at a district-level meeting on Sunday. It has been sent to the ministry concerned, said Azahar Ali Mandal, relief and rehabilitation officer in the district.
The DAE has assessed the crop damages. Deputy Commissioner Md. Ziaul Haq assured the farmers of providing all necessary supports to overcome the losses caused by the month-long flood.
He expected the farmers would be able to reactivate the wheel of the agriculture economy.
