Flooded in their homes, 200 families stranded in Lakshmipur

More than 200 families in Lakshmipur Sadar Upazila have been stranded by rising water after days of incessant rain, while dozens of hectares of farmland lie submerged.

Residents of Sutarghopta village and surrounding areas in Vobanigonj Union are wading through knee to waist-deep water.

Much of their cropland is now under chest-deep floodwater, sparking fears of another failed harvest.

Farmers say they suffered heavy losses last year due to similar flooding and fear the same outcome this year.

Locals blame poor drainage caused by illegal encroachments and poorly designed infrastructure.

They point to a canal east of the Lakshmipur-Ramgati road, which has been narrowed in several places.

Narrow culverts have been built to allow access, and thin pipes have been laid beneath them for water flow.

Many shops in the Miarber and Sutarghopta markets are built directly over the canal, obstructing water movement.

Waste and water hyacinth have also clogged the canal, further deepening the flooding woes.

On Sunday morning, eight shops in the Sutarghopta market were found to be standing directly over the canal.

Several makeshift culverts, five to seven feet wide, have been constructed for movement across the canal.

At one point, around 10ft of a 25ft-wide canal is blocked by dilapidated structures.

Water has flooded roads near the local graveyard, and as far as the eye can see, surrounding areas lie submerged.

A local kindergarten, Five Star Kindergarten, is underwater, and teachers have relocated students to two dry rooms nearby to continue lessons.

Every rural road in the vicinity is submerged up to the knee or waist.

A farmer, Nazmul Haque, said: “Last year, I couldn’t cultivate anything despite preparing seedbeds three times.

This year, our fields have water up to the chest. This is happening because the canals and wetlands have been illegally occupied. If the water doesn’t recede, we won’t be able to grow anything again.”

District agriculture official Zaher Ahmed said 375 hectares of Amon seedbeds have been submerged and will likely be lost.

Around 1,100 hectares of Aush paddy fields and 95 hectares of vegetable cropland are also underwater.

Jamshed Alam Rana, the Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO), or Upazila executive officer, has assured action to remove illegal structures.

Bangladesh Water Development Board (BWDB) official Nahid-Uz-Zaman Khan blamed encroachment, undersized culverts, and roads built across canals for the stagnation.