Integrated water resource management promoted in Barind Tract

Integrated water resource management method is being promoted as a special initiative in the vast high Barind tract aimed at reducing its existing water-stressed condition.

Swiss Red Cross and DASCOH Foundation have jointly been implementing the project titled ‘Integrated Water Resource Management (IWRM)’ for sustainable management of existing water resources in the drought-prone Barind area.

The project is being implemented in drought and arsenic-affected 39 Unions and three Pourasavas under Rajshahi, Chapainawabganj and Naogaon districts for the last couple of years supported by Switzerland.

Under the project, the Water Resource Planning Organisation (WARPO) has been working for formulating water-related policies and time-fitting rules and regulations as part of the state part.

Project Coordinator Jahangir Alam Khan said the IWRM Project has been building sustainable and effective institutions through farmers’ level piloting of different sustainable water resource management models through the participation of local people.

With the intervention of the project, eight more canals were re-excavated in the high Barind area aimed at reducing the gradually mounting pressure on underground water by promoting surface water irrigation.

“We have brought the canals with around 4.78-kilometre in length which were derelict and unfit for use under re-excavation in eight upazilas of Rajshahi, Chapainawabganj and Naogaon districts,” said Jahangir Alam Khan.

Around 24,200 people, including 12,544 women and 2,586 ethnic minorities, are being benefited from the canals. The beneficiaries are using the canal water to irrigate 350 hectares of farming fields of wheat, mustard, pulse and other rabi crops as supplementary irrigation.

Jahangir Khan said the venture has created scopes of saving around 24.20 lakh litre of underground water in terms of irrigation use, while 18.43 lakh litres for other household and livestock purposes.

Marginalised farmers, including ethnic minority ones, are seen deriving benefits from the re-excavated canals for irrigation purposes in Barind areas for the last couple of years.