Implement irrigation project, save Barind

Human chain at Nachole demands

29 December 2009, 17:00 PM

Our Correspondent, Chapainawabganj

A large number of locals join a human chain at Nachole bus stand in Chapainawabganj town yesterday demanding implementation of North Rajshahi Irrigation Project to save the Barind area from desertification. Rajshahi Protection Action Committee organised the programme.Photo: STAR

People from all walks of life formed a human chain and held a rally at Nachole on Monday demanding implementation of proposed Northern Rajshahi Irrigation Project to save Barind region from adverse effect of climate change. Leaders and workers of different political parties, professional bodies, NGOs, students, farmers and other people took part in the programme held at the bus stand intersection. Presided by Vice-Chairman of the Upazila Parishad Abu Taher Khokon, the rally was addressed, by Nachole upazila chairman Advocate Sirajul Islam, convenor of Rajshahi Protection Sangram Parishad Jamat Khan, editor of Dainik Sonali Sangbad Liakat Ali, Proctor of Rajshahi University Golam Sabbir Sattar Tapu, coordinator of BLAST, Rajshahi Advocate Abdus Samad, convenor of Chapainawabganj Committee of the Concerned Citizen (CCC) of Transparency International Bangladesh (TIB) and secretary of Chapainawabganj district press club NSM Mahbubur Rahman Mintu, president of Chapainawabganj district unit of Bangladesh College Teachers Association Principal Saidur Rahman, journalists Anwar Hossain Dilu, Imran Faruk Masum and Hasan Millat, social workers Monimuddowla Chowdhury and Shafiqul Alam Bhota. The speakers said, due to indiscriminate lifting of underground water through deep tubewells water layers are going down very rapidly causing a serious threat to the environment and watertable in Barind region, mainly in Chapainawabganj, Rajshahi and Naogaon. The districts are facing drought like situation. People will not be able to harvest their crops near future. They said expressing deep concern. The speakers said, on implementation of the project, about 80,000 hectares of land would come under it helping farmers to produce 2.5 million metric tons of extra quantity of paddy. Dependence on underground water would also remarkably reduce as only river water would be used under the project, they pointed out.