Water reservoir leased for fish cultivation

The water reservoir under the Buri Teesta Irrigation Project in Jaldhaka , Nilphamari (top) and a dried up branch canal. PHOTO: STAR

The project is the second largest in the district after the Teesta Irrigation Project at Dalia in Dimla upazila.

Initially, the project was drawn for providing irrigation facilities on 29,000 acres of land in Domar, Dimla and Jaldhaka upazilas.

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The Chairman of the then East Pakistan WAPDA, G A Madani inaugurated the project in 1963. It included a major barrage on the Buri Teesta and a 36,696 feet long main canal. The main canal consisted of four branch canals. Branch Canal-1 was 23,200 feet long while Canal-2 was 64,300 feet long and Canal-3 was 64,300 feet long and Branch Canal-4 was 322,000 feet long.

A vast water reservoir was constructed on 1,270 acres of land.

Since its commissioning, 18,000 acres of land were brought under irrigation from water of the reservoir till 1990, according to sources in the BWDB.

While visiting the project area on Friday, this correspondent found the dried up canals although sufficient water existed in the reservoir. Farmers under this project were seen irrigating IRRI-boro fields in a traditional way.

The farmers informed that Nilphamari BWDB authorities had leased out the water reservoir to an influential person allegedly backed by the ruling party.

The vast reservoir on 1,217 acres of land was leased at only 84,000 taka per year whereas a pond or a marshy land on 3 to 4 acres of land is usually given lease at more than one lakh taka, locals alleged.

The lessee paid only 4,20,000 taka for the reservoir on a five-year term, they said.

However, the lessee was not available there on the day for his comments.

When contacted, Nilphamari BWDB Executive Engineer Yasin Ali told this correspondent that because of 'misplanning', the BWDB authorities declared in 1991 that the project would not yield desired result.

Referring to the BWDB decision, he said that the width of the main irrigation canal was abnormally large. There is also 'misplanning' in making the reservoir as water of the reservoir does not flow towards the farmers' lands, rather it comes to the reservoir from their lands.

The Executive Engineer further informed that in the ongoing IRRI-boro season, this project provides irrigation facilities to 247 acres of land. In the last aman paddy season, the project provided irrigation to 2,717 acres of land, he added.

Refuting the WDB official's claim, Sujat Ali, a farmer at village Golna told this correspondent they are not receiving 'a single drop' of water from the project.

President of the Movement for Implementation of Buri Teesta Irrigation Project Golam Mostafa who is also president of Jaldhaka Press Club, pointed out that as per claim of the BWDB official, 18,000 acres of land were brought under irrigation system each year till 1990.

'Then how could they declare the project ineffective showing planning errors,' he posed a question.

He demanded quick measures to make the project effective.