M A Based, Panchagarh Correspondent: Continuous rain for three days has caused extensive damage to Aman paddy fields across Panchagarh. However, while the downpour has been devastating for paddy farmers, it has brought much-needed relief to tea growers in the plains. The rain has also ushered in an early touch of winter in Panchagarh, popularly known as the “Daughter of the Himalayas.”
According to the Meteorological Department, Cyclone Mantha, formed over the Bay of Bengal, gradually gained strength before making landfall, resulting in moderate to heavy rainfall across wide areas of North and South Bengal. From October 29 to 31, India’s coastal districts — including North and South Darjeeling, Kalimpong, Jalpaiguri, and Cooch Behar — experienced heavy rains that extended their effects into neighboring Panchagarh.
Asad Ali, an Aman farmer from Sahebjot village in Tentulia Upazila, said that his 30-hectare paddy field has been submerged for three days. “Due to standing water, new shoots have started growing from the paddy ears, which will cause major financial loss,” he said.
Panchagarh District Agriculture Extension Department’s Deputy Director, Agriculturist Abdul Matin, confirmed that paddy fields across all five upazilas, including the district headquarters, have been underwater for several days due to the cyclone’s impact. “There is no problem with the fields where the paddy has already ripened. But the immature paddy ears will likely be damaged,” he said. The Agriculture Department has advised affected farmers to tie three to four paddy plants together to help them stand upright. Farmers have also been instructed to drain water from ginger, onion, garlic, radish, and cabbage fields and apply fungicides to prevent disease. While some crops have suffered losses, the rain has been beneficial for tea cultivation in the plains, Matin added.
Jitendranath Roy, Officer-in-Charge of the Tentulia Upazila 1st Class Meteorological Observatory, reported that the minimum temperature in Tentulia on Saturday was 20.7°C. The region recorded 162 millimeters of rainfall in the last 24 hours and a total of 183.4 millimeters between October 30 and November 1. He also mentioned that light to moderate rain may continue for another day or two, noting that the rainfall has brought on a mild winter earlier than usual.
