Delayed embankment survey triggers anxiety among Sunamganj haor farmers

With the Boro season approaching, farmers in Sunamganj’s haor areas are growing increasingly anxious as survey work for crop protection embankments has yet to begin, 11 days after the scheduled start date.
According to the Water Development Board, the survey should be completed soon, followed by the construction of the dams from 15 December. The work is scheduled to be completed by 28 February to protect Boro crops from early flash floods.
Farmers fear that any delay in the survey could push back the construction schedule, leaving their crops vulnerable to flash floods from upstream hilly areas. Boro is the only major crop cultivated annually in the haor region, and the livelihoods of millions of farmers depend on its harvest.
According to the Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE), Boro was cultivated on 223,511 hectares of land in 12 upazilas of Sunamganj during the 2026 season, producing around 1.3 million tonnes of paddy against a target of 1.23 million tonnes. The crop was estimated to be worth around Tk5,000 crore.
Following the devastating floods of 2017, the government has been constructing crop protection embankments through Project Implementation Committees (PICs), involving local farmers, to protect Boro crops from early flash floods.
However, farmers and local residents have repeatedly complained of delays, irregularities and poor implementation of embankment projects. They said such negligence increases the risk of crop losses, particularly when flash floods arrive early.
Faruk Mia, a farmer of Matian Haor, said farmers are already preparing seedbeds, but the survey for the embankments has yet to begin. “If the survey is delayed, the embankment work will also start late. Every year, we remain worried about whether the embankments will be completed before the flash floods arrive,” he said.
Al Amin, a farmer of Shani haor, alleged that often irregularities in embankment construction waste government funds while putting farmers’ only annual crop at risk. “We want a permanent solution to over-allocation, irregularities and negligence in crop protection embankment projects,” he said.
Md Obaidul Haque Milon, general secretary of the Sunamganj Haor and River Protection Movement, said the authorities should ensure that the embankments are constructed properly and within the stipulated timeframe.
“The government allocates hundreds of crores of taka for protecting crops in the haor areas. The money must be spent properly for the benefit of farmers. Unnecessary and unplanned embankments should also be avoided,” he said.
Md Imdadul Haque, executive engineer (Division-2) of the Sunamganj Water Development Board, said the survey work had been delayed due to a manpower shortage.
“The work will start soon. As the water level has dropped, the survey will now be easier. Hopefully, it will be completed soon and the embankment construction will also be finished within the stipulated timeframe,” he said.