Rains submerge 6,500 hectares of croplands in Sunamganj haors

Continuous rainfall over the past few days has submerged thousand hectares of ripened and semi- ripened Boro paddy across 12 upazilas of Sunamganj, while a leak in an under-construction embankment in Bishwambarpur has further intensified fears of widespread crop damage.
According to the Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE), around 6,500 hectares of cropland have gone under water due to excessive rain. Farmers said, Sadar, Shalla, Jagannathpur, Jamalganj, Dharmapasha and Tahirpur upazilas are among the worst affected, where low-lying haor lands have been inundated.
Farmers are rushing to harvest partially ripened paddy amid concerns, but continuous rain has made it difficult to dry the crops. Many have stored harvested paddy in sacks covered with tarpaulins.
DAE Deputy Director Omar Faruk said a total of 2,23,511 hectares of land were brought under Boro cultivation this season against a target of 2,23,505 hectares, with an estimated market value of Tk5,000 crore. Already, 1,331 hectares of paddy have been damaged in phases of rain, while an additional 3,189 hectares have been affected by early waterlogging.
Meanwhile, water has started entering Khorchar Haor through holes in the under-construction Harimon embankment in Bishwambharpur upazila, raising fresh concerns among farmers.
Locals said the dam has weakened due to continuous rain and upstream hill water. The leakage was first detected near Radhanagar village on Tuesday morning, prompting visits by officials including Sylhet Water Development Board (WDB) Sub-Divisional Engineer Zakir Hossain and Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO) Md Abdul Matin Khan.
DAE sources said Khorchar Haor covers about 4,220 hectares of cultivated land this season, with around 35–40% paddy already harvested. Farmers fear that any major breach in the dam could inundate the remaining crops.
“If the dam collapses, thousands of farmers will lose their crops and face severe hardship,” said farmer Rafiq Ahmed. Farmers have alleged irregularities in dam construction, including poor soil compaction and use of low-standard materials.
Officials said water pressure from upstream hills entered the haor through the River Rupsha, worsening the situation. The Tk 27.38 crore project includes a 1.7km dam and two flood fuses under a WDB flood management and emergency assistance programme, scheduled for completion by June.
WDB officials said emergency measures have been taken to plug the holes and prevent further water entry. “We have deployed workers to identify the leakage source and fix it,” said Zakir Hossain.
UNO Abdul Matin Khan termed the dam “highly important” and urged speedy measures to ensure proper construction and monitoring.
WDB Executive Engineer Mamun Hawlader said the leak has been temporarily sealed and steps are underway to strengthen the dam, adding that strict action will be taken against the contractor for any negligence.
The government has undertaken a larger Tk460 crore project to develop flood protection infrastructure across 15 haors in Sunamganj, including embankments, regulators and riverbank protection works, he said.