FE Today Logo

Irregular, erratic rainfall in northern region cast a devastating effect on environ

Halt to underground water use for irrigation suggested


OUR CORRESPONDENT | January 28, 2020 00:00:00


RAJSHAHI, Jan 27: A devastating effect on environmental balance involving agriculture, fisheries, forestry and navigation is being felt distinctly since the rainfall in greater districts of Rajshahi has become irregular and erratic with a little scope of charge of subterranean level of water due to over use of surface and underground water for the purpose of irrigation.

At the same time, diversion of water of the Padma river through the Farakka canal is threatening the environmental balance of the region.

Senior Scientific Officer of Rajshahi Meteorological office Shahidul Islam informed, the fluctuation and decrease in rain fall in Rajshahi is being noticed from 2005 when the total rainfall was 1,421.4 millimetres, in 2006 the rainfall was drastically dropped to 1,152.4 milimetres, though it was recovered in 2007 registering 1,505 millimetres but in 2008 rain fall slumped to 1,159 millimetres and in 2009 the rain fall further decreased to 1,048 millimetre, in 2010, the rainfall further decreased to 803.5 mm while from 2011 to 2019 the rainfall gradually continued to increase.

In 2011 , the rainfall was recorded 1477.7 mm, the highest record during last ten-year while from 2012 to 2014 the rainfall again dropped to 1163.3 mm, 1247.5 mm, 1192.5 mm respectively. From 2015 to 2017 the rainfall again increased to 1419.9 mm, 1382.9 mm and 1469.4 mm respectively. However, the rainfall again dropped in 2018 to 954.2 mm only but again in 2019 the rain fall increased to 1871,4 millimetres.

For such irregular and erratic rainfall, production of crops and fruits in Rajshahi region is being badly hampered. However, sources concerned of Barind Multipurpose Development Authorities in Rajshahi informed due to massive afforestation beside the road, in the fields and for creation of community forests by the department of forestry in many places of the district, the rain fall had been increased during the recent years. However, indiscriminate logging of trees from the forests is also being done which is responsible for a less, irregular and untimely rainfall in the district.

Sources informed, due to scanty rainfall in 2018 (954.2 mm) the agriculture, fisheries and horticulture in the region was badly threatened. According to sources, Aman paddy in the past was cultivated by the farmers with the use of rain-water only but now-a-days, irrigated water at the fields is a must to cultivate and grow the Aman paddy in the Barind areas..

Specially, surrounding the Ganges (Padma) basin stretching from Shibganj in Chapainawabganj to Bheramara in Kushtia, the cropping scenario is experiencing a new challenge. In the Barind region, where underground water is available through deep tube wells, the paddy is being produced in the field but in some rugged region like Porsha and Sapahar, even the deep tube wells often failed to fetch sufficient water because of a deep layer of underground water.

Scientific officer of Bangladesh Wheat Research Institute, Rajshahi, Mahbubur Rahman informed, there was 42 per cent less rain fall in Rajshahi in 2018 compared to last year. He said, the fluctuation in the amount of annual rainfall and the untimely rainfall in the region is poised to devastate the environmental balance and posing a direct threat to agriculture, fisheries, forestry, and even livestock farming of the country.

He further informed, it is high time the farmers of the region change their cropping pattern. They should cultivate cereals and crops like wheat, Mung bean, pulse, maize, mustard and Aush paddy and vegetables like tomato, potato and cabbage which require less water.

At the same time, to save our environment from looming desertification, we should at once stop using underground water for irrigation purposes.

He further said the subterranean water level was gradually depleting every year. Some 20-year ago, the water was available at 30 feet deep but now, in many places of the Barind region water level is not available below 150 to 200 feet.

[email protected]


Share if you like