Natore Correspondent:

Floodwater from the Padma River has submerged crops on 689 hectares of char land in Lalpur upazila of the district.

Water has entered homesteads and courtyards in Nowshara Sultanpur, Chakla Binodpur, Diyar Shankarpur, Araji Baknai, Rasulpur and Moharkaya villages under Bilmaria union, as well as parts of Lalpur Sadar union.

According to the Department of Agriculture, the submerged crops include 660 hectares of sugarcane, 14 hectares of vegetables, 11 hectares of bananas and two hectares each of cotton and transplanted rice.

Local farmers expressed deep concern over their losses. “My three bighas of rice and pumpkin fields have gone under water,” said Muntaz Ali of Bilmaria village.

Farmer Alal Ali of Araji Baknai Char said, crops of about four and a half bighas of land, including rice and pumpkin, have been submerged.

Flooding has also created a fodder crisis for livestock. “We are in extreme distress with our cattle and buffaloes. There is no grass anywhere, everything is under water,” said Arif Mandal of Ilshamari char.

Lalpur Upazila Agriculture Officer Pritam Kumar Hor said, “We have inspected the char area, various crops in the char area have been damaged by the flood.”

Executive Engineer of the Water Development Board Md. Rifat Karim said water of three main rivers in the district is flowing below the danger level.

Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO) Md. Mehedi Hasan said dry food has been distributed among 60 affected families. “The situation has not yet reached the stage of shifting residents to shelter centers. Hopefully, conditions will improve from today,” he added.