Cyclone Mahasen has shattered the dreams of many farmers

The Dhaka Times Desk Cyclone Mahasen has shattered the dreams of many farmers. Cyclone Mahasena destroys the crop which they had grown with great difficulty at the last moment. Hundreds of farmers in Patuakhali region are now only crying.

Abdul Jalil Howladar is a marginal farmer of Manik Chandkathi village of Ratandi Taltali Union of Bari Galachipa Upazila. About 40 percent of the land is cultivated with rabies every year. And by selling the crops of that land, his household expenses are about three months. This time too, groundnuts, chillies and pulses have been grown on that land. But he could not bring that crop home. His crops are submerged in water. Abdul Jalil is disoriented. On Friday morning, the day after the cyclone, wife Jahanara Begum and granddaughter Tamanna went down to the field. Sometimes he was irrigating water, sometimes he was raising crops on the water. How much more will he try? Because his crop has sunk and will not stand up again.

The dreams of thousands of farmers in more coastal districts have been dashed by Cyclone Mahasena. Mahasen crossed the coast of Bangladesh through Patuakhali Khepupara due to heavy rain on Thursday. Although weak, it has left traces of loss of life and extensive damage in the region.

It is reported that due to Cyclone Mahasena, the crops of more than one lakh hectares of land in 11 agricultural areas of Barisal division have been partially or completely submerged in water. Out of this, the area of Aush paddy is the largest. About 57 thousand 746 hectares of Aush rice has been damaged. Apart from this, there are seeds of aush paddy, mung dal, chilli, vegetables, groundnut and sweet potato. Additional Director of Barisal Agricultural Extension Directorate Khondkar Sirajul Karim told the media that these crops will be completely destroyed if the water does not clear within two days.

It should be noted that only in the 11 agricultural regions of Barisal, apart from Aush paddy, 8 thousand 622 hectares of Bijtala, 35 thousand 453 hectares of Mugdal, 3 thousand 567 hectares of chilli, 10 thousand 812 hectares of vegetables, 7 thousand hectares of groundnut and 5 thousand 665 hectares of sweet potato have been submerged.

On the other hand, 45 thousand hectares in Bhola, 996 hectares in Pirojpur, 910 hectares in Barishal, 2 thousand 305 hectares in Jhalkathi, 835 hectares in Patuakhali and 200 hectares in Gopalganj are under water. In Barguna, 20,200 hectares of Aush's seed bed has been submerged. Apart from this, 100 hectares in Barisal, 925 hectares in Pirojpur, 1 thousand 377 hectares in Jhalkathi and 4 thousand 60 hectares of land in Patuakhali are under water. Mugdal planted on 24 thousand hectares of land in Patuakhali is submerged in water. 2 thousand 808 hectares in Barisal, 3 thousand hectares in Barguna, 5 thousand 600 hectares in Bhola and 35 hectares of Mugdal in Gopalganj are under water. 3,100 hectares in Bhola, 2,312 hectares in Barishal, 650 hectares in Pirojpur, 1,200 hectares in Jhalkathi, 2,000 hectares in Patuakhali, 1,000 hectares in Barguna and 500 hectares in Gopalganj have been washed away due to the cyclone. 13 thousand 20 hectares in Patuakhali, 2 thousand 17 hectares in Barisal, 715 hectares in Jhalkathi, 1 thousand 800 hectares in Barguna, 12 thousand 800 hectares in Bhola and 35 hectares in Gopalganj have been submerged. Six thousand 500 hectares of land in Bhola and 500 hectares of land in Barguna are under water. According to the sources of Directorate of Agriculture Extension, 2,500, 2,485 and 680 hectares of sweet potatoes have been damaged in Patuakhali, Bhola and Barguna respectively.
Several thousand hectares of ripe and semi-ripe boro rice and maize in the upazila have been submerged in water.

Farmers who will now be busy bringing crops home - now they are worried about how they will stand up again. How do they treat their loss? Source: Daily Kal Kantha.