Seasonal workers are harvesting boro paddy risking health hazard due to extreme heat in Bogura district.

Farmers in different unions of Bogura 12 upazila are spending busy time in cutting Boro paddy and bringing it home. About 55-60 percent of rice harvest is done by seasonal workers coming from different districts.

But thousands of seasonal laborers are cutting paddy with extreme health risks in the intense heat of the month. But many owners are providing regular water supply, comfortable room accommodation and good food for these workers.

Getting repeated bumper production, the farmers have take 187195 hectares land under boro cultivation this season. Around 112317 hectares of land already been harvested in all twelve upazilas of the district. Rest of the land will be harvested within next couple of week.

Going to some fields of Dupchanchia upazila, it can be seen that these seasonal workers are harvesting boro paddy in the scorching heat. They are bringing the cut rice and keeping them in the household yard.

Sometimes they are resting for some time between works. The sun is pouring heat on the head. There is no shadow anywhere in the vast field. These seasonal laborers are harvesting the rice from morning till evening.

“The laborers get a contractual wage of Tk 4-5 thousand to harvest one bigha of paddy.” said  farmer Saiful Islam. “The meals are provided by the household members of these workers. Some householders provide saline, syrup, biscuits for these workers. The workers are accommodated by the householders at night.” He added.

A laborer named Sahidul Islam said that it is difficult to cut paddy in this summer. But they have to work hard as they come every season to harvest rice in this region.

Deputy Director of the Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE) Md Matlubur Rahman said that paddy has been cut in about 60 percent of the district. There was no natural disaster in the district Seasonal workers from different district come as a boon to this area.