Thousands of farmers in Cumilla are facing significant crop losses after water from the Gomti River, swollen by upstream hill runoff, inundated vast stretches of char land, submerging early-season vegetable fields.

A visit to Balikhara, Bhanti and Kamarkhara areas of Burichang upazila on Thursday found extensive vegetable fields under water, with leafy vegetables and other crops floating on the surface. Farmers were seen wading through waist-deep water in a desperate effort to salvage whatever crops they could.

Farmer Abdul Haque of Bhanti said he had invested around Tk 300,000 in cultivating early-season radish and bottle gourd, but the sudden rise in the Gomti's water level submerged his entire field.

Another farmer, Abdul Jalil, said his plots of stem amaranth, Malabar spinach and ash gourd had been washed away. He said hundreds of farmers in Bhanti, Kamarkhara, Balikhara and surrounding areas had suffered similar losses.

Farmer Sohel Mia said growers were being forced to harvest immature vegetables, including bottle gourd, snake gourd, stem amaranth, ash gourd and radish, before they were completely destroyed.

Farmers said they were trying to recover at least part of their investment by selling whatever crops they could salvage, although they feared losses worth millions of taka.

Deputy Director of the Department of Agricultural Extension in Cumilla, Mizanur Rahman, said the rise in the Gomti River caused by upstream hill runoff had inundated croplands across the char areas, affecting thousands of farmers.

He said he and other agriculture officials were visiting the affected areas to assess the damage and speak with farmers. Necessary assistance would be provided after the damage assessment is completed, he added.