Nearly 500 acres of cropland went under water after water level increased in the Ichamati River due to heavy rains over the past few days in Sharsha upazila of Jashore district.

Local farmers said cropland in  Rudrapur, Goga, Sharsha, Bahadurpur, Putkhali, Bagachra, Navaron, parts of Shyamlagachhi under Sharsha upazila and most villages in Benapole were submerged, hampering Aman cultivation.

They say the waterlogging has become a frequent problem during monsoon as the river overflows each year.

The farmers alleged that due to lack of proper drainage management at the mouth of the river and dredging  water is not drained out quickly.

As a result, water remains stagnated on the lands of Thengamari and Awali Beel areas for a long time, making it possible for them to produce only one crop in these lands, they claimed.

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“Our lands are flooded every monsoon. Without proper drainage and river dredging, the situation persists,” said farmer Hossain Ali of Rudrapur, urging the authorities to take sustainable measures and provide assistance.

Sharsha Upazila Agriculture Officer Dipak Kumar Saha said heavy rainfall has alreadly damaged nearly five hectares of Aman seedbeds, 35 hectares of Aman paddy and 20 hectares of jute.

If waterlogging continues, Aman cultivation on around 500 acres in Thengamari may not be possible this year, he  said.

The agriculture official stressed the need for the Water Development Board to ensure proper water drainage in the affected wetlands.