Thrust on cost saving water management for irrigation

OUR CORRESPONDENT

SYLHET, Nov 28: Speakers at an event in Sylhet stressed the need for expansion of newer water-saving technology and raising crop production through proper management.

Agriculture scientists, researchers and model farmers joined the regional workshop organised by the Irrigation & Water Management Centre of Palli Unnayan Academy on Thursday last.

Sylhet region is already far behind in irrigation for its soil condition and other reasons, so we need to look for low cost and small scale irrigation management here, the event was told.

The Academy's project Director Abdulla al Mamun presented the key-note while DAE Additional Director Dilip Kumar Adhikari, Professor Md. Asad ud Doula of Sylhet Agricultural University, Professor Mozammel Haque of Shahjalal University of Science & Technology, BADC, Seed Joint Director Suprio Pal, DAE Deputy Director Md. Salah Uddin, Bangladesh Agriculture Research Institution (BARI)'s Chief Scientific Officer Nazrul Islam and farmers addressed the event while DAE Deputy Director Mazumder Ms Ilais chaired.

The 04 methods will help farmers reduce the use of irrigation water but raise the farm production by 30 to 40 per cent, the event was told. Already special interventions through organising local farmers in 200 selected areas in 40 districts including Sylhet region is already on.

Many of the farmers had already started getting benefits through four methods like Alternative Wetting and drying (AWD), Raised bed (RB), System of Rice intensification (SRI) and using Trico compost. Use of modern tools like rice transplanter, combine harvester etc has been contributing much.

Now Bangladesh is a country with food sufficiency, they added, but even then we have a lot to do in the field of farm research and technology for educating our farmers further.

Improvement of farmers' life standard through ensuring maximum yield through proper irrigation water management would be the focus now, the speakers asserted.