Atrai River Flood Submerges 17,000 Bighas of Farmland

The Atrai River is flowing 31 centimeters above the danger level, causing severe flooding and submerging around 17,000 bighas of cropland in Atrai and Raninagar upazilas of Naogaon district.

Thousands of residents have been stranded as floodwaters inundate homes and submerge key roads, disrupting daily life.

According to the Naogaon Water Development Board, the river crossed the danger mark at the Atrai Railway Station on Friday afternoon due to persistent heavy rainfall and inflows from northern upstream areas. By Saturday noon, water levels remained critically high at 31 cm above the danger threshold.

Vast stretches of agricultural land have been affected, with Aman paddy and other seasonal crops destroyed. In Atrai upazila alone, 10,500 bighas of farmland are fully submerged, while Raninagar upazila reports 2,500 bighas fully flooded and another 3,075 bighas partially underwater.

“If the water recedes soon, we may save some partially submerged crops, but the damage so far is significant,” said Zahidul Islam, Agriculture Extension Officer of Raninagar upazila.

Critical infrastructure has also been impacted. A 3-kilometer stretch of the Patisar-Samaspara road in Atrai is fully submerged, halting vehicular traffic. Villages including Majhagram, Hengalkandi, Paisawata, Jagannathpur, Fatkia, Banshbaria, Bisha, and Damdattabaria are cut off, limiting access to essential services.

Local farmers reported massive losses. Abdul Halim of Palsha village lost his 95-bigha paddy field, suffering an estimated Tk 6 lakh loss, while Rubel Chowdhury of Hengalkandi lost 22 bighas of Aman paddy. Nazim Uddin, Chairman of Bhopara Union Parishad, reported 16 bighas fully submerged.

“This is the worst flood in recent years. We planted with hope, but now there’s nothing left,” Halim said.

The Water Development Board has identified 8–10 vulnerable sections of the flood control embankment, including Nandaibari, Rasulpur, Lalua, Jagdas, Bhangajangal, Baithakhali, and Nandanali. Teams are conducting round-the-clock monitoring to prevent breaches.

Sub-Divisional Engineer Prabir Kumar Pal said rainfall has decreased and upstream water levels are beginning to fall. “We expect the Atrai River to start receding within 48 hours if no further heavy rainfall occurs,” he said.

Abdul Hannan, Project Implementation Officer in Atrai upazila, confirmed that while many homes are waterlogged, no houses have collapsed and no embankment has broken so far.

Rakibul Hasan, Upazila Executive Officer, said emergency teams are on high alert. “Preparedness measures are in place, and we are ready to evacuate residents if the situation worsens,” he added.

As floodwaters slowly stabilize, residents remain anxious, hoping for a quick receding of water to assess damages and begin recovery.