THE flash flood that hit parts of Sylhet and Sunamganj on Monday and Tuesday has come as a disaster for hundreds of farmers as it has submerged hundreds of hectares of standing boro crop that could reduce the harvest significantly. Gowainghat in Sylhet has gone under water after the flood protection embankments lining the haor area gave in. The flood has also submerged Dubail Haor at Dharmapasha in Sunamganj. Flood protection embankments breached at some places at Gowainghat amidst a continued erosion and the flooding took place when the River Piyain swelled more than 12 feet on Monday morning. Although there has not as yet been any official estimate of crop losses, the flood is believed to have affected not only farmers but also others as it tore through markets, tea gardens and other infrastructure as well. Boro was cultivated on 9,500 hectares in haors and 500 hectares were initially estimated to have been submerged in water only in Gowainghat while 700 hectares of boro paddy became submerged in Sunamganj, Netrakona and Kishoreganj by Monday.

When the north-eastern haor region is prone to flash floods, a number of issues have contributed to the worsening situation. The embankments were reported to be weak and developed cracks at many points, prompting people to use bamboos and sand bags to keep these from expanding. It is feared that if the water does not recede fast, flood protection embankments at other places may not hold and fresh areas might go under water. Moreover, the flood forecasting system was also not up to the mark while the arbitrary withholding and release of water at barrages across the border by India have further complicated the situation, making flash flood forecasts difficult and inaccurate. The haor region spanning seven districts accounts for a fourth of the country’s boro farming and a severe damage of the produce can impact the rice market, as it did several times in the recent past. When farmers expect to collect their produce in a month or so, the damage caused by the flood has pushed many into precarity as many farmers are reported to have lost all of their harvest. Other infrastructure is also reported to have been damaged by the flood.

Most farmers have not yet recovered from the financial crisis induced by the Covid outbreak and the losses incurred because of the flood in 2021. Moreover, farmers have largely not received benefits of the stimulus packages that the government announced in early days of the Covid outbreak. The government must, therefore, assess the losses and help the farmers with cash assistance and subsidised seeds. The government must also strengthen the embankments and ensure a better flash flood forecasting mechanism.