More than 300 fish farms have been submerged, and residents of at least 40 villages near the Sundarbans at Morelganj upazila of Bagerhat district are marooned in the recent flood due to continuous rainfall over past four days driven by low-pressure in the Bay of Bengal.
The incessant rain has caused the water levels of the Panguchi River to rise, inundating over 1,000 hectares of farmland, including Aman rice fields. The flooding has also put roads, schools, embankments, and homes at risk, with new landslides reported in several areas.
Local residents are calling for a permanent embankment along the Panguchi River to prevent further damage in the region, especially between Sannyasi and Ghasiakhali.
This marks the fourth major flood in the region this year, devastating homes, crops, and livelihoods. Many villagers are struggling as farmland and homes continue to erode into the river. Locals emphasized the need for urgent action on the embankment project proposed in 2017. They also said that continued pressure from the river could cause severe damage in the area if the situation persists for another week.
According to local officials, the extent of the damage to fish farms and crops is still being assessed. However, hundreds of families are already facing severe losses, with homes, farmland, and fish farms submerged.
Bagerhat Water Development Board executive engineer Md Masum Billah said they are working on plans for long-term solutions, including a 95-kilometer embankment from Rampal to Mongla, and ongoing projects to prevent erosion along the Panguchi River.