The government has set a target to dig 800 kilometres of canal across the country by this fiscal year aiming to increase the use of surface water for irrigation purposes.
Bangladesh Agricultural Development Corporation (BADC) is set to bring 0.78 million more hectares of land under surface water irrigation, said officials.
Md Ziaul Haque, chief engineer of minor irrigation at BADC, told the FE that 450 kms of canals will be dug while 350 kms of old canals will be re-excavated under the Annual Development Programme (ADP).
He said the canals will be built in the BADC's 25 project and programme areas across the country except three Barind districts.
BADC has got an allocation of Tk 4.4 billion to excavate the canals, build 400 new irrigation infrastructures, set up 250 water pumps, and supply 0.142 million tonnes of cereal, spice and vegetable seeds, 35 million pieces of fruit, wood and medicinal saplings and 1.1 million tonnes of non-urea fertiliser.
BADC also will set up 60 solar panel-based water pumps and will repair 3,000 old pumps, he said, adding that 40 per cent of the canals were dug until last week.
Mr Haque said groundwater level is decreasing by 1.0 metre every year, raising concern over future water security.
"We are using 25,000-30,000 litres of groundwater to produce a kg of rice during the Boro season."
He also expressed the hope that canals can help minimise the use of groundwater and raise production in the southern districts.
Use of surface water has increased to some extent in recent years as it was 26.56 per cent in 2017 while 25 per cent in 2016.
"We have a set target to make sure of using 30 per cent surface water by 2030. It might be achieved much before the target," he said.
Prof Dr Abdul Hamid, department of agronomy at Bangabandhu Agricultural University, said canal excavation especially in the southern and south-western belts could substantially boost cereal crop production by raising cropping intensity.
He said land's conversion from fallow or rain-fed crops to surface water could help irrigate maize, wheat, and rice fields there.
It also can reduce risks of nitrate or phosphorous contamination in rivers and canals, he said.
Canals in the northern regions could minimise the use of groundwater, he also pointed out.
According to the World Bank, above 1.7 million farming households in Bangladesh leave cropland fallow and unproductive after the monsoon season amid a shortage of water supply.
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