Time-fitting projects to protect Barind environment stressed

More emphasis should be given to adopting time-fitting projects to protect the environment and biodiversity from the adverse impact of climate change in the region, the vast Barind tract, in particular, experts at a discussion said on Thursday.

Adequate measures should be taken to lessen the gradually mounting pressure on the groundwater table. So, the time has come to undertake projects of enriching the surface water resources to meet up the present demand.

More efficiency in irrigation has become a necessity for reducing the misuse of water alongside decreasing agriculture production cost.

The observations came at a meeting between the officials of Barind Multipurpose Development Authority (BMDA), and the General Economic Division (GED) of the Bangladesh Planning Commission held at BMDA conference hall in Rajshahi city Thursday afternoon.

GED Member Dr Kawsar Ahmed and BMDA Chairman Begum Akhter Jahan addressed the meeting as chief and special guests, with BMDA Executive Director Engineer Abdur Rashid in the chair.

BMDA Additional Chief Engineers Shamsul Huda and Nazirul Islam, Superintending Engineers Iqbal Hossain and Mahfuzur Rahman, Project Directors Shariful Haque and ATM Rafiqul Islam and Executive Engineer Sumanta Kumar Bosak also spoke.

The meeting observed that the existing irrigation method had increased misuse of water, adding pressure on both ground and surface water, posing a serious threat to ecology.

So, some major parameters like water distribution system, irrigation scheme management system, water marketing system, sources of water, source of energy, Alternate Wetting Drying (AWD) and types of pumps should be brought under consideration, they said.

The meeting reviewed all activities and progress of BMDA projects elaborately and took some important decisions in this regard, the meeting sources said.

BMDA, the pioneering state-owned irrigation providing organisation in the northwest of Bangladesh, has brought 752,000 hectares, including 2.61 lakh hectares of irri-boro land, under irrigation facilities through operating 14,090 power-driven deep tube wells (DTWs).

The irrigated lands have yielded around 618,000 tonnes of extra crops, especially food grain in the region of the vast Barind Tract per year.

Engineer Abdur Rashid painted an overview of its ongoing projects and their progress. He said the region scored significant progress in the crop production sector following the expansion of irrigation facilities and supplying water from the re-excavated canals and ponds.

Yearly crop production has been enhanced to 34.32 lakh tonnes from 7.56 lakh, crop intensity to 226 per cent from 117 per cent, while annual rainfall rose to 64 inches from 54.99 inches.