Indiscriminate extraction of groundwater should be stopped
BSS
RAJSHAHI: Water experts at a workshop here on Sunday called for stopping indiscriminate extraction of groundwater for lessening the gradually mounting pressure on it in the vast Barind area, reports BSS. They viewed that an adverse impact has already been created on aquifer due to excessive extraction of ground water for irrigation and other purposes in the dried area.
The observation came in a dissemination workshop titled Bangladesh Water Rules- 2017 (draft) prepared based on Bangladesh Water Act, 2013 at circuit house conference hall here. Water Resource Planning Organisation (WARPO) and DASCOH jointly organized the daylong workshop with financial support from Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation- SDC.
Additional Secretary of Ministry of Water Resources Mohammad Yousuf and Director General of WARPO Khondokar Khalequzzaman addressed the workshop as chief and special guests with Commissioner of Rajshahi division Nur-Ur-Rahman in the chair.
Joint Chief of Ministry of Water Resources Monto Kumar Biswas, Additional Divisional Commissioner Aminul Islam, Director of WARPO Firoj Alam, Senior Programme Officer of Swiss Embassy Sabina Yasmin and Chief Executive Officer of DASCOH Akramul Haque also spoke.
During his keynote presentation, Engineer Rezaul Karim, Chief Scientific Officer and Project Director of WARPO, said groundwater level has been declining alarmingly in Barind area. Every year, the aquifer has been lowering by 2.5 to three meters.
