Around 1,200 bighas of Boro paddy fields have been submerged after the Harina canal embankment collapsed in Monirampur upazila of Jashore on Saturday.

Floodwaters also entered fish enclosures, washing away fish worth at least Tk 1 crore, claimed locals.

They said a 20-25-foot section of the embankment gave way around 4:00pm, allowing water to rush into the fields. Residents tried to stem the flow by building barriers, but in vain.

Deepak Kumar, a member of Durbadanga Union Parishad, said the Harina Canal runs along two large fish enclosures and is used for irrigating Boro fields under an agreement between farmers and enclosure owners. It connects to the river through the Gayekhali sluice gate in Keshabpur upazila.

This year, farmland was irrigated from one of the enclosures, while fish were kept in another smaller section. However, poor drainage through the sluice gate caused the canal to overflow, they alleged.

Monirampur Upazila Agriculture Officer Mahmuda Khatun said she had heard about the embankment collapse and will look into the issue.