5,000 tonnes of food grain in govt warehouses submerged in Sylhet

Flood has submerged 5,000 tonnes of rice, paddy and wheat in three storehouses in Sylhet Sadar, Gowainghat and Companiganj upazilas in Sylhet, said sources.
 
Sylhet District Food Controller Nayan Jothi Chakma told TBS that five of the 14 food storehouses in Sylhet district were affected by the flood. The food grains in three of these warehouses were completely submerged under water.
 
A committee has been formed to recover the submerged food grains from the affected storehouses and to determine the actual amount of damage, he added.
 
The flood has also ruined Aush paddy fields, vegetable fields, Aman paddy seedbeds, fisheries and livestock farms in the district.
 
Sources said if the water takes too long to recede, farmers will not be able to prepare the seedbed of Aman paddy, which will hamper the crop cultivation.
 
In addition to Sylhet, farmers in Sunamganj and Netrokona are also facing the same crisis.
 
Dr Md Rustam Ali, district livestock officer in Sylhet, told TBS, "There is a widespread food crisis as there is no straw or grass. Livestock farmers are unable to buy granular animal feed as shops are also flooded. So far, 373 cows have died and 847 poultry farms have been damaged in the flood."
 
It is not possible to determine the financial amount of loss unless the water recedes, he added.
 
According to the Department of Agricultural Extension in Sylhet, the flood has submerged Aush paddy in 30,000 hectares of land in the district.
 
According to the Sunamganj Agriculture Office, 15,000 Aush paddy fields and around 7,000-8,000 vegetable fields are submerged in the district.
 
The flood has also halted the work of preparing seedbeds for Aman cultivation in 72,000 hectares of land in the district.
 
Sunamganj Sadar Upazila Agriculture Officer Salah Uddin Tipu told TBS, "The price of rice has gone up in different areas. People have to buy rice at Tk100 per kg. The prices of eggs and potatoes have also increased. People are relying on these three food items amid the flood because most of the vegetable fields have been submerged."
 
Eggs are being sold at Tk60 and potatoes at Tk50-60 per kg in the flood-affected areas, said sources.
 
 
Flood wreaks havoc on Netrokona farms
 
TBS correspondent in Netrokona reported that the loss of fish, livestock and agricultural products in the district has so far exceeded Tk150 crore and it is increasing every day.
 
Netrokona District Fisheries Officer Shahjahan Kabir said the ongoing floods have inundated at least 25,000 ponds in 10 upazilas of the district, causing a loss of about 11,000 metric tonnes of fish worth over Tk100 crore.
 
According to the Mohanganj Upazila Fisheries Office, fish from 2,040 ponds in the upazila have been washed away, causing a loss of about Tk70 lakh, while 414 ponds have been submerged in Khaliajuri upazila in Netrokona.
 
Abdul Hai, the owner of a fish farm in Nazirpur area of Kalmakanda upazila of the district, said, "I had fish worth Tk16 lakh in four ponds. All the fish have been swept away by the flood waters overnight. I have lost my capital and become destitute."
 
Netrokona District Livestock Officer Md Shahidullah said 223 cattle farms and 442 poultry farms in 10 upazilas of the district were flooded. The damage has been estimated at Tk4 crore.
 
Besides, the flood has also ruined granular animal feed worth Tk21 lakh and hay worth Tk1.44 crore. It has also inundated 1.5 lakh acres of pasture. The total loss in the district is about Tk7 crore.
 
Md Shahidullah further said those who were fattening cattle for selling them at the cattle market ahead of Eid-ul-Azha are in dire straits. Due to the flood, some of them are not waiting for Eid and are selling their cattle at cheaper prices.
 
The Agriculture Extension Department officials in Netrokona said the flood has destroyed Aush paddy in 564 hectares of land, jute in 170 hectares and vegetables in 357 hectares of land in the district. However, the department has not yet determined the amount of loss in terms of money.
 
Prahlad Sarkar from Balrampur village in Khaliajuri upazila of the district said, "Flood water has ruined the haystack I had for feeding four cows throughout the year. Currently, I am feeding the cows by cutting the water hyacinth, despite the risk that the cows will get sick from it."
 
Regarding the damages, Agriculture Minister Dr Md Abdur Razzak said so far Aush paddy in 22,000 hectares of land, vegetables in 5,000-7,000 hectares and some seedbeds of Aman paddy have been damaged.
 
The agriculture minister told TBS, "We are monitoring the situation. We have enough Aman seeds. Measures will be taken according to how fast the water recedes. We are working on what kind of support can be given to the farmers in the affected districts. '
 
"If it takes too long for the flood water to recede in the affected districts, there may be a concern regarding the Aman cultivation, as the sowing of seeds will be a problem," he added.