Photo: BSS

RANGPUR, Apr 27, 2025 (BSS) - The season's first nor'westers coupled with
hailstorms lashed many areas of five districts in greater Rangpur, damaged
many thatched houses, uprooted hundreds of trees and disrupted power supply
 tonight.
 
The natural calamity badly hit all nine unions of Gangachara upazila in
Rangpur and nearby Kaliganj upazila of Lalmonirhat damaging some 2,000 houses
totally or partially and uprooting hundreds of trees there alone.
 
At the same time, unripe mangoes growing widely in many orchards of the
region, including Gangachara, Mithapukur, Badarganj, Sadar, Kawnia and
Pirgachha upazilas of Rangpur, were damaged.
 
However, the nor'wester did not cause any damage to the standing Boro rice in
the region.
 
On the other hand, the common people have suddenly got some relief from last
night's storm and rain amid the intense heat wave that has been going on in
the region for the past few days.
 
According to the officials concerned and the investigation conducted today,
some 100 villages in different upazilas of Rangpur, Lalmonirhat, Kurigram,
Nilphamari and Gaibandha districts of the region have been hit by the
nor'westers.
 
However, the growing Boro rice fields have found the nor'westers as a
blessing with deposition of some rain waters, naturally meeting the
irrigation demand and saving fuels and electricity, especially at this peak
irrigation period.
 
"The nor'westers didn't cause any harm to growing Boro rice plants," Rangpur
regional Additional Director of the Department of Agricultural Extension
(DAE) Md Shafikul Islam told BSS at 9:30 pm tonight, after visiting different
districts in the region today.
 
While visiting some 20 villages in different unions of Sadar and Kawnia
upazilas in Rangpur today, this BSS reporter found that a number of thatched
houses were damaged and many trees were uprooted but Boro rice plants
remained intact without any damage.
 
Talking to BSS today, Abdul Kaiyum of village Bhutchhara Majhpara under
Shaheedbag union in Kawnia upazila of Rangpur said some thatched houses were
damaged and trees were uprooted during the storm that lashed the village last
night.
 

"However, the growing Boro rice plants remain intact without any damage in
our village," he said.
 
Similarly, farmer Nizam Uddin of village Ballovbishu under the same union in
the upazila said some tin roofs of houses have been blown away and trees were
uprooted and branches fell, tearing electricity wires and causing power
outages.
 
Talking to BSS at 9:40 pm, Gangachara Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO) Mahmud
Hasan Mridha said that nine people were injured, around 1,500 thatched houses
in all nine upazilas of upazila were damaged, hundreds of trees uprooted by
the storm and hail.
 
"We have started to assess the extent of damage caused by the storm in the
upazila," the UNO added.
 
Meanwhile, in-charge of Rangpur Meteorological Office Md Mostafizur Rahman
said that the wind speed during the storm on Saturday night was 8 nautical
miles and the rainfall recorded was 20 millimeters during the period in
Rangpur.
 
Rangpur Deputy Commissioner Mohammad Rabiul Faisal said that the local
administration is working to assess the extent of the damage.