A total of 18,749 fisheries, including enclosures and fish farms, in 11 Upazilas of Sylhet were inundated by the flash floods.
Around 21.3 million fish fry and 2,305 tonnes of fish have washed away in the floodwaters, said the Department of Fisheries on Sunday, reports UNB.
Besides, there have been infrastructural damages due to the flood triggered by an onrush of hilly water from India.
As a result, 15,163 fish farm owners of Sylhet district are counting a loss of Tk 21.73 billion, said Sylhet district fisheries officer Md Abul Kalam Azad.
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 Tk 200,000 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 in Zakiganj are counting a loss of Tk 6.22 billion while 2,592 farms in Gowainghat are inundated with a loss of Tk 1.40 billion, 2,350 farms in Kanaighat with a loss of Tk 640 million, 2,150 farms in Biswanath with loss of Tk 1.55 billion, 2,100 farms in Zaintapur with loss of Tk 1.74 billion and 1,402 farms in Beanibazar with loss of Tk 2.17 billion.
Besides, 535 fish farms in Sylhet Sadar Upazila, 845 in Golapganj, 70 in Balaganj, 145 in Companyganj and 210 in South Surma were flooded.
Fisheries Officer Abul Kalam Azad said, “There has been a huge loss of fish farming in the district, which is irreparable. And 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 Centre, the Surma River was flowing at 84 cm at Kanaighat Point and 12 cm above the danger level at Sylhet City Point on Sunday morning.
At the same time, the Kushiara River is flowing at 132 cm above the danger level at Amalshid point of Zakiganj and 47 cm at Sheola point of Beanibazar.
