Weeks of heavy rainfall and flash floods triggered by upstream hill runoff have caused widespread damage to agriculture, fisheries, road infrastructure and homes across Chittagong, leaving farmers, fish growers and residents facing mounting losses.
Large swathes of cropland, including Aus paddy fields and Aman seedbeds, have been submerged, while thousands of ponds, reservoirs and fish enclosures have been washed away. Floodwaters have also damaged national, regional and district roads, disrupting transport and causing severe hardship for commuters.
9,043 hectares of Aush affected
The agriculture sector has suffered extensive losses, with standing Aus paddy, Aman seedbeds, summer vegetables, betel leaf plantations, ginger, turmeric and horticultural crops inundated.
According to preliminary data from the Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE), flooding damaged 9,043.5 hectares of the 30,022.5 hectares of Aus cultivation in the district.
Of the 2,721.67 hectares of Aman seedbeds, 960.66 hectares have been affected, while 5,907 hectares of the 17,828.65 hectares of summer vegetable fields were inundated.
Initial estimates suggest more than 1,200 farmers have incurred losses exceeding Tk6 crore.
Mohammad Ali Jinnah, deputy director of the Department of Agriculture Extension, Chittagong, said damage assessment is still underway.
"Many flood-hit areas remain waterlogged or inaccessible due to disrupted communications, so the current figures are only preliminary. The total losses may increase once the full assessment is completed," he said.
Tk91.4 crore fisheries loss recorded
Flooding has also dealt a heavy blow to aquaculture across 15 upazilas in Chittagong.
According to the district fisheries office, 9,933 ponds and reservoirs and 320 fish enclosures in 153 unions have been damaged.
Preliminary estimates put losses in the fisheries sector at Tk91.41 crore.
District Fisheries Officer Salma Begum said floodwaters affected 3,211.92 hectares of ponds and reservoirs and 900 hectares of fish enclosures.
"The preliminary assessment shows losses amounting to Tk91.41 crore in the fisheries sector across 15 upazilas," she told Bangla Tribune.
Road infrastructure damage
Floodwaters have also damaged large sections of Chittagong's road network, with road collapses, eroded pavements and waterlogged highways disrupting transport across the district.
According to the Roads and Highways Department (RHD), 50.56km of roads under the Chittagong Road Division have been damaged, including 19.5km of national highways, 6.35km of regional highways and 24.71km of district roads.
The agency estimates Tk8.3 crore will be required for immediate repairs and Tk18.6 crore for long-term reconstruction.
Meanwhile, under the Chittagong South Road Division, 65.85km of roads have been damaged, including 10.55km of national highways, 17.47km of regional highways and 37.82km of district roads.
Repair costs for that division have been estimated at Tk5.76 crore in the short term and Tk34.15 crore for long-term rehabilitation.
Mohammad Abdul Halim, additional chief engineer of the RHD's Chittagong Zone, said several roads and bridges have been damaged by the floods.
"The extent of the damage is becoming clearer each day. We will carry out urgent repairs on the most critical road sections as quickly as possible," he said.
