Teesta irrigation project turns virtually useless

Thousands of farmers in its command area have become frustrated, as they did not get water in their lands since commission of the First Phase of the barrage in 1998.

According to records with the Water Development Board (WDB) office in Rangpur, the Teesta in Bangladesh turns into almost a "dry channel from November to March".

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The lowest flow of water in the Teesta at Dalia point was about 4000 cusec in March 22, 2003, 3470 cusec in March 22, 2002, and 4050 cusec in March 22, 2001.

The Teesta Barrage project was built at a cost of about Tk 1000 crore.

About 70,000 farmers in 12 upzilas in Nilphamari, Rangpur and Dinajpur districts have left the hope of getting irrigation water from the project through canals.

A highly placed official of the project on condition of anonymity said farmers in Rangpur and Dinajpur districts under the project's command area will not get water in dry season unless India releases an equitable share of water through the river.

India has constructed a barrage across the river at Gozaldoba about 100 km upstream and diverts a lion share of the Teesta water during dry season, ignoring the demand in Bangladesh, he said.

The 615 metre barrage has 44 outlets, 110 metre canal head regulator with 8 outlets, a silt trap on 45 hectares of land, 2470 metre closure dam. The constructions include 80 km flood control embankment, 33.67 km main canal, 275 km major secondary canal, 1450 km primary canal, 2720 km tertiary canal and other structures.

The purpose of the barrage was to supply 283 cusec water to 79378 hectares of land in 12 upazilas in Rangpur Dinajpur and Nilphamari districts during the dry season.

But the water level in Teesta decreases so much during dry season that the barrage could hardly discharge 50 cusec of water to its main canal. Hence, most of the canals under the project remained useless during dry season.

Only a few hectares of land under Nilphamari district could be brought under water supply.

Already, some parts of the secondary, primary and tertiary canals and some major structures of the project have been damaged as those could not be utilised. Some of the iron structures have been stolen as those were left inoperative.

"Only equitable share of water through the Teesta can make the barrage functional," said GM Kader, a Jatiya Party lawmaker elected from Rangpur- 3 constituency.

"We hope the government will arrive at an understanding with the India government soon for equitable share of water through the Teesta" , he added.

Awami League legislator Azaduzzaman Noor elected from Nilphamari-2 constituency when contacted regretted that the largest irrigation project in the country has become useless to farmers for whom it was constructed.

He blamed the then government for constructing the barrage before reaching an accord with India.

"I doubt whether the government's sincerity to make India agree to sing an accord for equitable share of the Teesta water", Noor said.

Ruling BNP's Rangpur district unit president Rahim Uddin Bhorsa said, "The secretary level meeting of the Joint Rivers Commission today (September 14) in Dhaka must be fruitful. An accord should follow the meeting", he hoped.