RAJSHAHI, Feb 6, 2023 (BSS)- Around 715 more derelict ponds and 10 other big 
abandoned water bodies are being re-excavated in the region, including its 
vast Barind tract, aimed at making those suitable for both irrigation and 
household purposes.
 
Ultimately, 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 by encouraging the people to boost the farming of fish and duck 
after the best uses of the conserved water. 
 
On behalf of its project titled "Small irrigation through pond re-excavation 
and surface water augmentation", Barind Multipurpose Development Authority 
(BMDA), an ever-largest irrigation-providing state-owned entity in the 
country's northwest region, has been re-excavating the ponds for the last 
couple of years. 
 
Engineer Shariful Haque, Director of the project, told BSS that 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.
 
Under the project, 85 solar panel driven low lift pumps are being installed 
for lifting the irrigation water for boosting the renewable energy used for 
irrigation purposes. Installations of 35 of those were completed till 
December last.

Construction of an 80-kilometer underground pipeline for distribution of the 
irrigation water to the croplands is one of the project components. 
Constructions of 40 of those were completed.
 
More than 1.5 lakh tree saplings will be transplanted on the banks of the re-
excavated ponds and canals that will supplement the process of ecological 
improvement through mitigating the adverse impact of climate change. Fifty 
percent of those were achieved till the end of last year.
 
Salient feature of the project is to enhance water-holding capacity besides 
supporting the aquifer recharge process and multipurpose uses of the 
conserved water through re-excavation of the state-owned derelict ponds. 
 
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. 
 
Earlier on, the BMDA has re-excavated 3,098 ponds and 2,011-kilometer canal 
through implementation of various other projects in order to promote surface 
water-based irrigation till June last, Engineer Haque added. 
Large-scale promotion of irrigation has brought a revolutionary change to the 
agriculture sector in the region, including its vast Barind tract, 
supplementing the government efforts of ensuring food security.
 
Farming scenario has also been changed as a result of expanding the 
irrigation facilities contributing a lot towards improving living and 
livelihood conditions of the people. 
 
Many of the grassroots farmers are cultivating and producing varieties of 
crops, fruits and vegetables almost round the year uninterruptedly.
 
Meanwhile, 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 supported 
by Switzerland since 2014, said Jahangir Alam Khan, Coordinator of IWRM 
Project. 

The existing adverse impact of climate change is putting local people into 
trouble since the hand-driven tube-wells are not functioning here in the dry 
season, he added. 
 
Jahangir Khan, however, said the BMDA's ongoing project would play a vital 
role to improve the socio-economic condition of the project-related 
population through expansion and development of the surface water resources 
that will supplement the government efforts of achieving sustainable 
development goals. 
 
Lutfor Haider Rashid, chairman of Tanore upazila Parishad, said the water-
deprived poor and underprivileged communities in the drought-hit areas would 
get access to water with the project intervention.
The initiatives, as a whole, would contribute a lot to reduce the acute 
crisis of water in the drought-prone Barind area, he expected.