BSS :
Scopes of producing 23,100 tonnes ofadditional crops through providing surface water irrigation to 3,850 hectaresof land were created in the region, including its vast Barind tract,annually.
In addition to increasing water holding capacity, volume of ground waterrecharge has been enhanced through re-excavating khas pond and dighi formultipurpose uses.
Apart from this, 1,550 tonnes of additional fish will be produced from theconserved water.
The opportunities were created through implementation of a project titled”Minor irrigation through pond re-excavation and surface water augmentation”in the region.
Around 1,25 more derelict ponds and 10 other big abandoned water bodies arebeing re-excavated in Rajshahi region, including its vast Barind tract, aimedat making those suitable for both irrigation and household purposes.
Ultimately, the initiative will contribute a lot towards improving surfacewater resources besides aquifer recharge in the drought-prone areas.
It will also help reduce the gradually mounting pressure on underground waterside by side by encouraging the people to boost the farming of fish and duckafter the best uses of the conserved water.
Barind Multipurpose Development Authority, 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-yearproject is being implemented in 43 drought-prone upazilas of Rajshahi,Chapainawabganj, Naogaon, Bogura and Natore districts with an estimated costof around Taka 146.89 crore.
Under the project, 85 solar panel driven low lift pumps are being installedfor lifting the irrigation water for boosting the renewable energy used for
irrigation purposes. Installations of 65 of those were completed tillDecember last.
Construction of a 105-kilometer underground pipeline for distribution of theirrigation water to the croplands is one of the project components.Constructions of 73 of those were completed.
More than 1.5 lakh tree saplings are being transplanted on the banks of there-excavated ponds and canals that will supplement the process of ecologicalimprovement through mitigating the adverse impact of climate change. Fiftypercent of those were achieved till the end of last year.
Salient feature of the project is to enhance water-holding capacity besidessupporting the aquifer recharge process and multipurpose uses of theconserved water through re-excavation of the state-owned derelict ponds.
Upon successful implementation by this year-end, the project will createscope of providing irrigation to 3,058 hectares of farming fields foryielding around 18,348 tonnes of additional crops yearly.
In addition, the scope of producing 1,088 tonnes of additional fish will becreated through the conserved water.
Earlier on, the BMDA has re-excavated 3,098 ponds and 2,011-kilometer canalthrough implementation of various other projects in order to promote surfacewater-based irrigation till December last, Engineer Haque added
Large-scale promotion of irrigation has brought a revolutionary change to theagriculture 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 theirrigation facilities contributing a lot towards improving living andlivelihood conditions of the people.
Many of the grassroots farmers are cultivating and producing varieties ofcrops, fruits and vegetables almost round the year uninterruptedly.
BMDA Executive Director Engineer Abdur Rashid said: “We have a plan ofelevating the surface water-based irrigation to 30 percent from the existingten percent by 2030 to lessen the gradually mounting pressure on undergroundwater.”
Referring to various research findings, Prof Chowdhury Sarwar Jahan ofDepartment of Geology and Mining in Rajshahi University said there are around10,000 ponds, 200 canals and ten other big sized waterholes in the barindareas consisting of Rajshahi, Chapainawabganj and Naogaon districts.
“We have enormous scope of enriching the surface water resources throughproper management of the water bodies,” he said.
Prof Chowdhury has conducted research on both surface and groundwaterresources in the drought-prone Barind area for a long time.
