Mongla, July 12 (V7N): Continuous heavy rainfall over the past week has submerged more than 600 shrimp ponds in the Mongla region, leading to the loss of shrimp stocks. As a result, local shrimp farmers have suffered financial damages amounting to approximately Tk 50 lakh. The most significant impact has been felt by shrimp farmers in the Chila and Chandpai unions, while pond owners from the Sundarbans, Mithakhali, Sonailtala, and Burirdanga unions have also reported substantial losses.

Due to the persistent rains, more than 300 hectares of shrimp farms in the region have been flooded, causing the shrimp to escape. The majority of the ponds have lost their boundaries, and farmers have been trying to contain the shrimp using nets to prevent further loss.

Chila Union shrimp farmer, Bijon Boudh:
"The continuous rainfall has washed away the embankments of my shrimp pond, and the fish have escaped. Now, we are trying to contain them using nets to keep the shrimp from flowing out."

Chandpai shrimp farmer, Abdur Rahman:
"At the start of the season, we lost a portion of the shrimp due to a viral infection. Now, the heavy rains have submerged the ponds, causing more shrimp to escape, resulting in a significant financial loss for us."

Ikram Izardar, a resident of Sundarbans Union, shared his plight:
"We are always in trouble—whether it’s viral outbreaks, heavy rains, or storms. The continuous disasters have caused us immense damage, and we have no way out since shrimp farming is our only livelihood."

Senior Fisheries Officer, Md. Jahidul Islam, confirmed the extent of the damage:
"The past few days of continuous heavy rain have submerged over 300 hectares of shrimp farms, leading to the loss of over 600 shrimp ponds in the region. The estimated financial loss to shrimp farmers is approximately Tk 50 lakh. A list of the affected farmers has been submitted to the concerned ministry, and if any assistance is allocated, it will be distributed among the farmers."

END/AHS/SMA/