Call to take projects to protect Barind environment
RAJSHAHI: More emphasis should be given on adopting time-fitting projects to protect environment and biodiversity from the adverse impact of climate change in the region the vast Barind tract in particular, speakers at a meeting here said. They viewed there should be adequate measures of lessening the gradually increasing pressure on the groundwater table. So, 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 the 74th Board Meeting of Barind Multipurpose Development Authority (BMDA) held at its conference hall in Rajshahi city on Saturday. The meeting observed that the existing irrigation method has 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.
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. With Akram Hossain Chowdhury, Chairman of BMDA, in the chair, BMDA Advisers- Israfil Alam, MP, Prof Abdul Quddus, MP, Rejaul Karim, MP, Golam Mostofa, MP, Abdul Malek, MP, former MP Wahedur Rahman and deputy commissioners of Rajshahi, Naogaon, Natore, Chapainawabgonj, Pabna and Bogra districts attended the meeting.
The meeting observed that the agriculture sector has already witnessed the scarcity of irrigated water, which may be harmful for crop production. Besides, the agriculture sector has faced huge production cost due to rising prices of different agri-inputs, which is pushing farmers of the region into a difficult situation. In the meeting, Engineer Abdur Rashid, Executive Director-in-Charge of BMDA, painted an overview of its ongoing projects and progress of those. He said the region scored significant progress in the crop production sector following the expansion of irrigation facilities along with supplying water from the re-excavated canals and ponds.
