Floodwater started entering Baram and Darakhai Haors in Derai and Jagannathpur upazilas of Sunamganj on Thursday overflowing the flood protection dam in Kalni River, causing worry to local farmers. Following the authority’s instruction farmers of Sunamganj haor region have started harvesting half-ripe paddy to reduce losses. Water overflowed from Kalni River through the middle part of Chandipur-Khejaura since Thursday morning, said Mahmudur Rahman, upazila nirbahi officer (UNO) of Dirai upazila. Read: Modern launch terminal to be constructed in Chandpur About four thousand hectares of land were cultivated in this haor. According to the locals, 60 per cent of the paddy in the haor has been harvested. If flooding in haor continues, the rest of the paddy will go under water. Bimal Chandra Som, deputy director of the district Agricultural Extension Department, said another crops on 1,000 hectares of land in Baram Haor has not been harvested yet. However, most of the crops of Pathar Haor have been reaped. The harvesting  of Boro paddy is still continuing in these two haors, the official added.

Hundreds of farmers in Sunamganj’s haor areas started harvesting paddy after getting an early flood warning from the district administration and local weather office.   Warned by local weather office about untimely heavy rain, the district administration recently announced over loudspeaker that untimely flood may damage the crops in the haor area.   But labour shortage amid the ongoing holidays to contain transmission of coronavirus, has become a major headache for the farmers desperate to save their crops.   Visiting several haors in the district on Sunday, the UNB correspondent saw farmers and their children busy harvesting. In many cases, voluntary organisations and students were helping the farmers.   Sources at Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE) said they expect a production of 12 lakh tonnes of Boro paddy from 219,300 hectares in the district.   Meanwhile, Abu Syed Chowdhury, meteorologist, Sylhet Weather Office, said about 200mm rain may occur in between April 17 and 21 according to the meteorological calculation. That may be the reason of an unwanted flood in the haor region, he added.   Warned by the meteorologist, the district administration has been encouraging local farmers to harvest paddy as soon as possible to save it from flood.