C T Online Desk: Flash flood struck the north-eastern district of Habiganj on Wednesday following a heavy rain upstream across the border in India, and is threatening to disrupt aman cultivation if it persists.
With forecasts of increased precipitation in the upstream and inside Bangladesh from August 26, there is a growing prospect of flood sweeping a large swathe of north-eastern region.
The north-eastern region accounts for 40 per cent of about 1.60-crore ton of annual aman production, according to the Department of Agricultural Extension, and so far about 50 per cent of aman cultivation target has been achieved.
The high time for aman cultivation is by August 15 but the DAE was hopeful about achieving its target of growing aman paddy in 59-lakh hectare across the country.
‘Farmers have made up their mind and will not rest until planting is completed,’ said Nur-e-Alam Siddique, deputy director, Habiganj, DAE, adding that aman had already been planted in 48,000 hectares of land against the target of over 80,200 hectares in the district.
The deputy director was optimistic about achieving the aman cultivation target in next two weeks.
‘Authorities should check on flood protection embankments and repair those in weak condition,’ said Nur.
The official preferred not to think about flash flood threat at this moment, but farmers, many of whom lost boro production because of devastating flash flood in June, could not put such flood threat out of their mind.
In the 24 hours until 9:00am on Wednesday the Khowai River at Ballah, Habiganj swelled 105cm overflowing its danger mark by 35cm following an extreme rain in Tripura over the last two days.
Tripura recorded 180 per cent excess rain compared to what was normal in the 24 hours until 8:00am on Tuesday followed by 219 per cent above-normal rain in the latest reporting cycle until Wednesday morning.
The Manu and Dhalai rivers also swelled up to 292cm rapidly over the 24 hours until Wednesday morning.
Flood Forecasting and Warning Centre warned that the Manu and Dhalai might briefly overflow their danger marks in Moulvibazar by 9:00am today.
In the 24 hours until 8:00 am on Wednesday, the India Meteorological Department also reported 149 per cent above-normal rain in West Bengal, 67 per cent more rain than what was normal in Sikkim, 29 per cent excess rain in Bihar and 90 per cent excess rain in Jharkhand.
The Gangetic West Bengal is set to experience increased precipitation over the next few days. The Padma in the Ganges basin swelled at all points in Bangladesh in the latest reporting cycle.
The FFWC warned that the river might keep swelling through Friday.
On Wednesday, the FFWC reported that 60 river-gauging stations out of 109 saw their water levels go up.
The Met Office in Bangladesh also predicted an increased rainfall from August 27 onward.
August is the third of the four-month-long monsoon season. Flood struck in more than once in August in the last five years.
