Govt working to raise irrigation efficiency up to 50 pc : Dr Razzaque

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DHAKA, Jan 17, 2021 (BSS) – In an effort to offset higher food production cost, Agriculture Minister Dr M Abdur Razzaque today said the government is working to raise irrigation efficiency up to 50 percent by 2030 aiming to expand more cost-effective irrigation facilities for the farmers.

“The government is working to improve irrigation efficiency up to 50 percent within 2030 from its present capacity of 38 percent to expand irrigation facilities through more use of surface water,” he said as the chief guest at a seminar titled “ Ground water monitoring digitalization’ at Sech Bhaban at city’s Manik Mia Avenue.

During this time, the minister hopeful that 60 lakh hectares irrigation coverage along with reduced ground water use by 70 percent and increased surface water use by 30 percent.

In the last ten years, the irrigation cost has been reduced drastically by extensive use of surface water as the country’s irrigation efficiency now stands at 38 percent from its earlier rate of 35 percent, said the minister at the seminar arranged by the BADC.

Claiming that country’s significant irrigation cost cut down as tremendous success of the present government, Dr Razzaque said the government already has implemented a number of initiatives including excavation and re-excavation of canals, rubber dam and construction of water bodies for excessive use of surface water.

Under the initiatives, the irrigation area has been extended by 10.50 lakh hectares, 9,457 kilometers canal has been re-excavated, he said.

Irrigation channel up to 13,351 kilometers, 10 rubber dams and one hydraulic elevator also have been installed, which consequently have expanded irrigation facilities to 56.27 lakh hectares covering 73 % of the total agricultural land.

Surface water utilization has increased to 27 percent from its earlier level of 21 per cent during this time, the minster told the seminar, adding that creating an widened scope of surface water use and cost effective irrigation.

Agriculture Secretary M Meshbahul Islam spoke the seminar as the special guest while Bangladesh Agriculture Development Corporation (BADC) Chairman M Sayedul Islam chaired it.

Terming the present government as agriculture friendly,the minister said the present government has achieved a remarkable success in irrigation management system by expanding irrigation facilities and reducing its per unit cost.

After the liberation, the then government led by Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman had given importance on agriculture revolution by development and expanding irrigation facilities.