As many as 15,163 fish farm owners of Sylhet are counting a loss of Tk21.73 crore due to the flash flood in the district, says Sylhet District Fisheries Officer Md Abul Kalam Azad.
A total of 18,749 fisheries, including enclosures and fish farms, in 11 upazilas of Sylhet have been inundated by the flash floods, forcing Tk2.13 crore fish fry and 2,305 tons of fish washed away in the floodwaters, said the Department of Fisheries on Sunday.
Besides, there has been infrastructural damage worth Tk1.55 crore due to the flood triggered by an onrush of hilly water from India.
In this regard, the worst affected areas are Zakiganj, Gowainghat, Kanaighat, Bishwanath, Jaintapur and Beanibazar upazilas.
Anwarul Islam, a fish farmer from Birshree area of Zakiganj upazila, said: “I have taken a loan of around Tk2 lakh for fish farming in the pond. At the beginning of the flood, trying to save the fish by enclosing the pond did not help. All the fish have been washed away by the flood.”
According to the Fisheries Department, 6,350 fish farms were inundated in Zakiganj counting a loss of Tk6.22 crore while 2,592 farms in Gowainghat were inundated with a loss of Tk1.40 crore, 2,350 farms in Kanaighat with a loss of Tk6.4 crore, 2,150 farms in Biswanath with loss of Tk1.55 crore, 2,100 farms in Zaintapur with loss of Tk1.74 crore and 1,402 farms in Beanibazar with loss of Tk2.16 crore.
Besides, 535 fish farms in Sylhet sadar upazila, 845 in Golapganj, 70 in Balaganj, 145 in Companyganj and 210 in South Surma have been flooded.
Abul Kalam Azad also said: “There has been a huge loss of fish farming in the district, which is irreparable. The amount of damage is constantly increasing.”
Meanwhile, the flood situation in Sylhet has improved a little. However, the Surma river is still flowing above the danger level at all points of Sylhet.
According to the Flood Forecasting and Warning Center, the Surma River was flowing at 84cm at Kanaighat Point and 12cm above the danger level at Sylhet City Point on Sunday morning.
At the same time, Kushiyara River is flowing at 132cm above the danger level at Amalshid point of Zakiganj and at 47cm at Sheola point of Beanibazar.
