4 decades over, will the 'faulty¿plan be at all remodelled?

A virtually abandoned sluice gate in Branch Canal-2 of Buri Teesta Irrigation Project at Kaliganj village in Jaldhaka with both its doors stolen. PHOTO: STAR

Despite demand by farmers, the project is not fully operational because of alleged lack of initiative by the authorities and technical problems.

At many points, valuable materials including components of sluice gates have been stolen due to lack of proper maintenance.

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An optimum utilisation of the project could save Tk 10 crore fuel and produce Tk 100 crore rice during the current IRRI-Boro season, experts and farmers said.

The project was initiated in 1963 to irrigate 29,000 acres of land in Jaldhaka, Domar and Dimla upazilas by harnessing the water of Buri Teesta river.

The project comprises a 10.95 km main canal and three branch canals. Branch canal-1 (BC-1) is 5.64 km long, branch canal-2 (BC-2) is 18.60 km and Branch canal-3 (BC-3) is 19.90 km.

To regulate water, there are 15 big sluice gates in the main canal and 25 medium and smaller ones at different points in the branch canals. A vast reservoir was built on 1217 acres, with a provision for another on 1,000 acres for its expansion.

The project provided irrigation facilities to 18,000 acres out of 29,000 for long.

In 1991, the Water Development Board (WDB) declared that the project would not be able to yield desired result due to 'wrong planning'.

Since then, survey was done several times by WDB to correct the 'wrong plan' and make the project fully operational, but to no result.

WDB Executive Engineer in Nilphamari, Abdur Razzak, told this correspondent that study is going for remodeling the project. He said the project is not 'totally useless' as irrigation is being provided to 350 acres through it now.

During a visit on Thursday, this correspondent found that most areas of the canals were dry. Due to lack of proper maintenance, 10 metal doors and other components sluice gates and regulators were stolen.