Paddy fields inundated due to heavy rain in Boko as an aftereffect of cyclone Fani

A Correspondent

Boko: More than 3,000 bighas of paddy land and eight villages were affected by flash flood due to the two-day long heavy rainfall induced by cyclone Fani in Boko constituency.

Due to heavy rainfall in neighbouring Meghalaya state, two rivers of Meghalaya-Gijang and Dilseng- are flowing above the danger level. The Singra River has also swelled up. It washed away two bridges at Dirima and Balijhar on Saturday night. After that, the wreckages of the bridges jammed the two switch gates of the Assam State Irrigation department. Eleven gates jammed out of 15 gates in the Singra Switch gate. Dirima village has time and again faced flash flood. In the year 2014, the highest number of livestock died in that village. But this time villagers have saved their livestock before the flash flood. Later, the water washed away paddy fields of nearby villages.

The Singra River also washed away the Balijhar Chamaria connecting wooden bridge and it jammed seven out of 10 gates in the 1 No. Baruapathar sluice gate. Heavy rainfall and the water of the Singra River caused flash flood and six villages -Pahartoli, Bharalipara, Bederbasti, Fotamara, Moukhuwa and 1 no. Makeli - were submerged in water on Saturday night. Villagers took shelter in a nearby hill. On Sunday, a temporary flood relief camp was opened at Barua- Pahartoli Lower Primary School.

Akram Hussain, president of Baruagaon Gaon Panchayat, said that more than 300 families of these six villages had taken shelter in the camp and due to the negligence of the State Irrigation Department, thousands of bighas of paddy fields were washed away and villagers lost their crops.

When asking about clearing the sluice gates, Dhrubajyoti Baishya, SDO of Boko Irrigation Department, said that he tried to clear the gates and he would take help from the Assam State Disaster Relief Force. He also added that due to lack of employees he failed to clear the sluice gates.

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