Mahasen Turns Thousands of Farmers into Paupers
Staff Correspondence, The Daily Star, Patuakhali, May, 2022: Crops on one lakh 28 thousand hectares of land in the district have been totally damaged as cyclone Mahasen hit the coastal region on 16th instant.
The croplands went under water as tidal surges washed away flood control embankments at many places during the cyclone. This correspondent visited some of the worst affected areas on Friday and talked to local farmers.
Abdul Jalil Howlader (50), a marginal farmer of Chandkathi village of Galachipa upazila, said he cultivated ground nuts, chilli and pulses on 0.40 acres of land but all the crops went under water.
“I would have reaped the crops only after 15 to 20 days but the cyclone frustrated all my hopes,” said Jalil who along with his wife and granddaughter were trying to remove rainwater from his chilli field.
Alauddin Mia (55), another farmer from Rangabali Upazila, said he cultivated crops on three acres of land but all the fields have been flooded and now he is passing miserable days with his family. Standing crops on five acres of land of Shawkat Hossain and four acres of land of Mohammad Rased in the same village also got damaged in the same way.
In Rangabali, 90 percent of the farmers have been affected by the cyclone. They need immediate help from government or non government level to resume their cultivation, said Md Liakat Ali, Upazila Nirbahi Officer.
At least 2 died in Patuakhali and Bhola as the Cyclone Mahasen hits the coastal area around 9:00am on 16th May.
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