Call to take surface water based irrigation projects
Lawmakers and experts at a discussion yesterday said government should undertake more surface water based irrigation projects as excessive use of groundwater is leaving impacts on agriculture in the North.
Rajshahi Rakkha Sangram Parishad (RRSP) organised the discussion on 'NRIP: Persistent endeavor to implement dream' at Rajshahi Chamber of Commerce and Industries (RCCI) auditorium.
They demanded implementation of the proposed surface water based North Rajshahi Irrigation Project (NRIP) to save the northwestern region from desertification in the context of climate change as well as for attaining self-dependence on food.
They said NRIP, at a cost of Tk 1,100 crore, would help make good use of Padma river water keeping harmony with the ecology. It will also facilitate increase of food production by 2.50 million tonnes by providing irrigation facility to 74,850 hectares of land in Rajshahi, Chapainawabganj and Naogaon.
Rajshahi Mayor AHM Khairuzzaman Liton speaking as the chief guest said Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has pledged to implement the project as it ushered agricultural prospect for some 50,000 growers there.
“We are yet to utilise the water treaty with India due to lack of surface water based irrigation projects”, said lawmaker Fazle Hossain Badsha.
Lawmaker Omar Faruk Chowdhury said Padma River needs a capital dredging. “If the width of the river is reduced and depth increased, the river will be useful for surface water irrigation as well as resist increase of salinity in the region,” he said.
Barind Multipupose Development Authority (BMDA) Chairman Nurul Islam Thandu attending as special guests and BMDA Executive Director M Abdul Mannan said there were no conflict between groundwater usage in Barendra project and the proposed NRIP project. They said implementation of NRIP is necessary for Barendra project's existence, as ground water has reached an alarming level.
Rajshahi University Professor Chowdhury Sarwar Jahan Sajal presenting the keynote paper said excessive extraction of groundwater by deep tube-wells of BMDA is already leaving an impact on Rajshahi. Underground natural reservoirs are not replenishing due to reduced rainfall while the use of chemical contaminated groundwater for irrigation increases risk of long-term environmental pollution, he said.
Rajshai University Prof Golam Sabbir Sattar Tapu said if NRIP is implemented, a small agro-farm of 1.7 hectares of land would be able to earn a profit of around Tk 35,000 per year.
Water Development Board Executive Engineer Nizamul Haque Bhuiyan said the Water Development Board recorded 600 cubic meter water in Padma during dry season whereas the Ganges-Kabodak project uses only 150 cubic meters and the proposed NRIP will need some 80 cubic meter.
RRSP Conveynor Zamat Khan chaired the meet. Fazle Hossain Badsha and Omar Faruk Chowdhury were the chief guests while Chapainwabganj Erosion Protection Council Conveynor Shafikul Alam, RCCI President Abu Bakker Ali, journalists Liakat Ali and Hasan Millat spoke among others.
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