Boosting surface water irrigation prospects bright in Barind: Experts

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By Dr Aynal Haque

RAJSHAHI, Feb 18, 2021 (BSS) – Prospects of boosting surface water
irrigation is very bright in Rajshahi Barind area as it has scores of natural
water bodies which remain in uncared and derelict condition at present,
experts said.

Referring to various research findings Prof Chowdhury Sarwar Jahan said
there are around 10,000 ponds, 200 canals and ten other big sized waterholes
in the barind areas comprising Rajshahi, Chapainawabganj and Naogaon
districts.

“We have enormous scopes of enriching the surface water resources through
proper management of the water bodies,” he said, adding boosting surface
water irrigation has become the demand of time.

Prof Chowdhury who teaches at the Department of Geology and Mining in
Rajshahi University has been conducting research on both surface and
groundwater resources in the drought-prone Barind area for a long time.

He cited the instance of Beelbhatia, a vast water body and wetland of
around 6,388 acres, at Bholahat upazila in Chapainawabganj. Tens of thousands
hectares of farmlands can be irrigated round the year through using conserved
water of the beel if it was re-excavated.

There is another four to five kilometer long water body at Rohanpur in
Gomastapur upazila of the same district. If it was re-excavated, around
10,000 hectares of land of 25,000 farmers can be brought under surface water
irrigation.

Apart from this, the two-kilometer long Chowdala-Boalia canal remained in
derelict condition for long. Around 150 hectares of farmlands can be
irrigated with water from the canal if it was re-excavated, Prof Chowdhury
added.

Transforming all the existing underground water-based irrigation into
surface water ones can be the crucial means of lessening the gradually
mounting pressure on groundwater tables.

He mentioned that the gradually declining water resources are posing a
serious threat to the living and livelihood condition of the marginalized and
other less-income group families in the water-stressed area. Meanwhile,
Barind Multipurpose Development Authority (BMDA), an ever-largest irrigation-
providing state-owned entity in the country’s northwest region, has started
implementing a project titled “Small irrigation through pond re-excavation
and surface water augmentation” recently.

BMDA Superintending Engineer Abdur Rashid said the five-year project is
being implemented in 43 drought-prone upazilas of Rajshahi, Chapainawabganj,
Naogaon, Bogura and Natore districts with an estimated cost of around Taka
128.19 crore.

Around 715 more derelict ponds and 10 other big closed water bodies will
be brought under re-excavation aimed at making those suitable for use to both
irrigation and household purposes in the region including its vast Barind
tract within near future.

Upon successful implementation by December in 2023, the project will
create scope of providing irrigation to 3,058 hectares of farming fields for
yielding around 18,348 tonnes of additional crops yearly.

In addition, the scope of producing 1,088 tonnes of additional fish will be
created through the conserved water. The initiative will contribute a lot
towards improving surface water resources besides aquifer recharge in the
drought-prone areas. It will also help reduce the gradually mounting pressure
on underground water side by side with encouraging the people to boost the
farming of fish and duck after the best uses of the conserved water.

Earlier, the BMDA has re-excavated 3,098 ponds, 2,011-kilometer canal and
413 dug-wells through implementation of various other projects in order to
promote surface water-based irrigation till June last, Engineer Rashid added.

“We have a plan of elevating the surface water-based irrigation to 30
percent from the existing ten percent by 2030 in order to lessen the
gradually mounting pressure on underground water,” Engineer Rashid said.

More than 12.58 lakh community people of 2.66 lakh households are being
motivated and encouraged towards promoting and using the surface water
resources to reduce the pressure on underground water under the ‘Integrated
Water Resource Management (IWRM)’ project.

The project is being implemented by DASCOH Foundation in around 1,280
drought-hit villages under 39 union parishads and three municipalities of
eight upazilas in Rajshahi, Naogaon and Chapainawabganj districts since 2014,
said Akramul Haque, chief executive officer of DASCOH Foundation.

The existing adverse impact of climate change is putting local people into
trouble since the hand-driven tube-wells are not functioning here in dry
season, he added.