Cut groundwater usage for eco balance: Experts
Irrigation through groundwater should be reduced to maintain ecological balance and cut irrigation cost in the agriculture sector.
Experts suggested increased use of surface water for irrigation to avoid adverse impact on ecology.
They feared that overuse of groundwater would make adverse impact on environment and agriculture sector.
Groundwater level is declining gradually in the country as irrigation still depends largely on groundwater, Chief Geologist of BADC Khandaker Fazal Hasan told the news agency.
In the last Rabi season, total irrigated area was 52,17,626 hectares, while groundwater covered 41,27,387 hectares which was 79.10 percent of total irrigated area.
Surface water irrigation covered 10,90,239 hectares which was 20.90 percent of total irrigated area, according to a Minor Irrigation Survey Report (2009-10).
The survey was jointly conducted by Bangladesh Agricultural Development Corporation (BADC), Department of Agriculture Extension (DAE) and Barind Multipurpose Development Authority (BMDA).
Nearly 52.18 lakh hectares of land were brought under irrigation by using a total of 16,08,661 mechanised and non-mechanised equipment during the Rabi season last year.
According to another survey report, a total of 51.27 lakh hectares were brought under irrigation during the Rabi season in 2008-09 of which 40,50,706 hectares were irrigated by groundwater and 10,76,145 hectares through surface water.
Underground water level is going down gradually due to its overuse for irrigation, Hasan said, adding that farmers in many places during Rabi season suffered from inadequate irrigation water due to low water level.
Chief Engineer (minor irrigation) of BADC Abul Quasem Mia said overuse of groundwater will have adverse impact on environment as water level in many areas is declining.
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