Flood affects cattle, poultry farmers

Want of Feed
With floodwater receding, thousands of people in 19 flood-affected districts are coming back home only to find their dwellings ravaged, cropland damaged and cattle and poultries infected with various diseases.

The prolonged flood has severely affected livelihoods of many marginal people while waterborne diseases are breaking out in many areas, report our correspondents.

Although water levels of all the major rivers are dropping, they are flowing above the danger level in some places.

Five hundred ducks and a hundred hens died in last few days in South Mandra and Antigao village, reports our Munshiganj correspondent.

Lack of fodder and grass for cattle has only aggravated the suffering of the people. Besides, they have been infected with different diseases.

Firoza Begum, a widow of Mandra village yesterday told The Daily Star that others could hardly imagine how they survived the last few days.

“We hardly get food. But to manage fodder for my cows is even harder,” said Firoza.

The flood has affected 25 unions of Singair and four unions of Daulatpur upazila in Manikganj. People of these affected areas complained that they did not get any relief materials.

However, Rashida Ferdous, deputy commissioner of Manikganj, said she had directed the officials to make a list of the affected people and would distribute relief once the list was complete, reports our Manikganj correspondent.

The 17-day long flood has damaged at least 32,395 hectares of T-aman, aush, vegetable fields and seedbeds in Kurigram, reports our correspondent quoting local agriculture officials.

Shafi Uddin of Char Parbatipur of Kurigram sadar upazila had planted Aman on seven bighas of land all of which was damaged.

“My seven bighas of T-aman paddy field and 16 decimals of seedbed have been totally damaged. It would be hard to recover the loss if I do not get any help,” he said.

Afsar Ali, acting deputy director of the Department of Agriculture Extension in Kurigram, said, “Farmers are advised to plant the late varieties of paddy on their flood-hit lands. We are also advising them to grow vegetables and robi crops like mustard, wheat and maize early to recover their loss.”

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