111Our Correspondent222
RANGAMATI, Sept 7: Flood made agricultural damages of over Tk 111 crore in Rangamati and Khagrachhari districts of Chhattogram Division.
In these two districts, 5,204 hectares (ha) of agriculture lands were inundated while 24,735 metric tons (MT) of crops were destroyed.
A total of 23,565 farmers were affected.
Agriculture officials said, of the three hill tract districts, no damage was reported in Bandarban District as it was not flooded.
The highest agriculture damage occurred in Khagrachhari.
According to sources at the Department of Agriculture Extension (DAE)- Rangamati (Hill Tract Chattogram), of the total 90,801 ha of agriculture lands in Rangamati and Khagrachhari 14,845 ha of land were affected by flood and heavy rain; of the affected croplands, 3,848 ha were fully damaged while 5,483 ha were partially damaged.
As the partially damaged croplands turned fully damaged, the total damage stands at 5,204 ha.
In Rangamati District, 2,103 ha of agriculture land were submerged while 7,819 MT of crops were damaged.
The economic cost of the crop damage was estimated at about Tk 45 crore. The number of affected farmers is 10,235.
In Khagrachhari District, 3,101 ha of agriculture land were submerged while 16,916 MT of crops were damaged.
The economic cost of the crop damage was estimated at Tk 66.75 lakh. The number of affected farmers is 13,330.
Damaged crops in the districts included Aush, Aman, vegetables, ginger, turmeric, sugarcane, arum taro, and fruit orchards.
Deputy Director (DD) of the DAE-Khagrachhari Basirul Alam said, over 13,000 farmers were affected in the district; but Dighinala and Matiranga upazilas have been mostly affected.
Already two MT of paddy seeds have been given as incentives to affected farmers, he added.
"I want to increase this incentive allocation. A demand proposal has been sent to the ministry," he maintained.
DD of DAE-Rangamati Md Maniruzzaman said, "The highest crop damage was reported in Baghaichhari Upazila of the district; half of the crop damage of Baghaichhari was reported in Longdu Upazila; including damages in other upazilas the total crop damage in the district is about Tk 45 crore. Though we sent the final damage report to the ministry, the total damage can be more or less."
Additional Director of the DAE-Rangamati Tapan Kumar Pal confirmed Tk 111 crore crop damage in Rangamati and Khagrachhari districts.
Initiatives have been taken for incentives to affected farmers, he added.
He further said, seed incentives of paddy and others will be given to the affected farmers.
Seeds of winter vegetables and Boro paddy will be given among farmers in these two districts, the official maintained.
