Construction of the proposed Ganges Barrage will help cut salinity intrusion into the country's coastal region, said Water Resources Minister Barrister Anisul Islam Mahmud on Friday, reports UNB.
"Salinity intrusion into the coastal region will come down once the Ganges Barrage is built. It'll also help cast a tremendous positive impact on food grain production," he told the inaugural session of a two-day consultation at the city's BRAC Centre Inn in the morning.
Saltwater intrusion is the movement of saline water into freshwater aquifers, which can lead to the contamination of drinking water sources and other consequences.
Anisul Islam said the government has already finalised a feasibility study on the Ganges Barrage. "If the Ganges Barrage is constructed, the irrigation facility will be extended in the coastal region and it will help increase the water flow during the dry reason, which will help cut salinity intrusion," he added.
Bangladesh Water Partnership (BWP) and Institute of Water Modelling (IWM) in association with WMO/GWP Associated Proramme on Flood Management (APFM) organised the national consultation, titled 'Integrated flood management with focus on coastal zones of Bangladesh: Development of a pilot project on coastal flood management in selected areas of Bangladesh'.
GWP chair (South Asia Region) Ishwar Raj Onta, BWP president M Shahidul Islam, IWM executive director Prof Dr Monowar Hossain, WMO director (Climate and Water) Bruce Stewart and additional secretary of Water Resources Ministry ALM Abdur Rahman, among others, spoke at the inaugural session of the consultation.
Speaking as the chief guest, Anisul Islam said the people of Bangladesh used to face big floods after every five or 10 years and they were always ready to face the flooding.
"Now, people know, they can lead a flood-free life within the embankment where there is no flood…people's perception has changed. Now they don't have to worry about flood onslaughts," he said.
The minister said the Bangladesh Water Development Board should take suitable plans and talk to stakeholders in this regard.
BSS from Rajshahi adds: Ganga Barrage, a mega and also much talked-about project of the country, will be implemented in near future and the present government has been working actively to this end.
State Minister for Water Resources Nazrul Islam, Bir Pratik, MP, firmly revealed this adding that Japan government has given consent of extending financial support to implement the huge project.
Similarly, Bangladesh government is also considering the issue of receiving the financial support. He was addressing a project inception workshop titled "Integrated Water Resource Management (IWRM) Piloting to Translate Bangladesh Water Act, 2013 in Barind Areas" held at a local hotel in Rajshahi City Thursday as the chief guest.
Water Resource Planning Organization (WARPO), DASCOH and Swiss Red Cross jointly organized the workshop detailing the aspects of the Water Act alongside objectives and implementation strategy of the pilot project.
