Construction of barrage on Padma brooks no delay

A study was conducted in the Ganges-dependent areas in 2001, which prescribed Talbaria as the choice for the site of the proposed Ganges Barrage. The place lies in close proximity to the point of origin of the river Gorai. Finally in 2012, the latest study prescribed Habashpur of Rajbari district and Lalkhan of Shujanagar upazila under Pabna district as the two ends of the barrage. The proposed barrage would be 2.1 kilometres long and lie at a distance of around 98 kilometres downstream from the Farakka Barrage of India.
ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT: Officials say, the increased water-flow through the Hisna-Mathabhanga, Gorai-Modhumoti and Chandana-Barasia systems resulting from the Padma Barrage would provide the needed volume for preserving the eco-system and reduce environmental degradation in the Ganges-dependent area. Approximately 43,270,569 people belonging to 9,016,257 families live in the 165 upazilas of the project-dependent area.
An assessment of environmental impact of the proposed Padma Barrage shows that all the important environmental components (IEC) except two (sedimentation and bank erosion) will show positive impacts. The components yielding positive impact would be: river morphology, navigation, river-flow and water level, flooding, drainage congestion, drought, ground water hydrology, crop production, crop damage, irrigated area, fish habitat and productivity, pond fish culture, terrestrial ecosystem, aquatic eco-system, wildlife habitat, wetland fauna and ecosystem of the Sundarbans.
SOCIAL IMPACT: Social impact assessment of the project shows that all the indicators would demonstrate positive improvements. These include: food security based on rice production, fish as nutrition source, employment in agriculture and non-agriculture sectors, migration, poverty, surface water for domestic use, health and sanitation, drinking water, electricity, literacy, communication, land acquisition, industry and economic development.
MULTI-CRITERIA ANALYSIS: It is difficult to express the benefits of a huge project like the Ganges or Padma Barrage based on financial criteria alone. A multi-criteria analysis, therefore, allows consideration of all impacts including economic, social, quantitative and qualitative ones. If the project is implemented properly, then there would be a huge rise in outputs in the agriculture and fisheries sectors as well as in the forestry resources of the Sundarbans. The following multi-cultural impacts would be observed after the construction of the barrage:
* It would meet the water deficits in the G-K Project (135,000 hectares), Pabna Irrigation Project (184,500 hectares) and 118 other small and medium-sized flood control and drainage projects under the jurisdiction of Water Development Board.
* It will be possible to produce 113 megawatts of hydro-electricity in the main barrage and the Gorai offtake structures.
* The salinity-front would be pushed downstream due to the rise in river-flow from the upstream.
* Thirty-three per cent area of the Sundarbans would be transformed into 'low to moderate salinity' area from that of 'high salinity' area.
* There would be massive improvements in navigability and water cum surface transportation in the area.
* An additional 2.5 million tons of paddy and 1.0 million tons of non-rice crops would be produced in the project area.
* The amount of fish production per year would increase to 240 thousand metric tons in the project area.
* It would be possible to restore and sustain the natural-cum-environmental balance of the area.
CHALLENGES OF PROJECT IMPLEMENTATION: Approval of the Primary Development Project Proposal submitted for construction of the Padma Barrage in 2013 is now under process. The estimated cost of the project is Tk 314.14 billion and its time-frame for implementation is seven years. However, it has not yet been included in the Annual Development Programme (ADP).
In line with the feasibility report, an amount of Tk 23.539 billion will be required to acquire 2012.15 hectares of land. This process may give rise to social problems and complications.
Recent media reports indicate that India is planning to construct 16 more barrages on the river Ganges at different points of its territory. However, India cannot construct any new infrastructure on the Ganges without informing Bangladesh in accordance with section-96 of the Ganges Water-sharing Treaty. But if water is really withdrawn after constructing these additional barrages, the rivers in the south-western region of Bangladesh would almost dry up, 30 districts would be seriously harmed and salinity in the southern region of the country would rise to a dangerous level.
One of the drawbacks of the latest feasibility study on the barrage project is that it has not made any recommendations on taking anti-earthquake measures. The barrage may collapse in the eventuality of any earthquake hitting the site.
RECOMMENDATIONS:
* Grants and aid can be sought from the development partners, including the Indian government, after inclusion of the project in the Annual Development Programme.
* Priority should be attached to resolution of disputes and social conflicts during acquisition of land for project implementation.
* Diplomatic efforts should be geared up for full implementation of the 1996 Ganges Water-sharing Treaty. Bangladesh should also keep an eye on construction of new barrages on the river Ganges by the upper riparian neighbour India and may consider taking steps as per the International Convention on Rivers, if required.
* The Padma Barrage Project should be given highest priority because of its huge importance in the agricultural and environmental spheres of the country. Delay in its implementation would only escalate the financial costs and allow more damages to the country's agriculture, ecology and environment.
The implementation of the Padma (Ganges) barrage project is very urgent for ensuring food security, reducing salinity, protecting the forest resources and conserving bio-diversity of the Sundarbans as well as maintaining environmental-cum-ecological balance of the country's south-western region. Numerous feasibility studies have been conducted on the project in the past including those in 1961, 1963, 1969, 1983, 2001 and 2012. All these studies have demonstrated that the project is fully viable in terms of financial, technical, social and environmental criteria. Although some socio-economic and invisible problems cropped up during the post-1975 era, it is now very much possible to implement the project by banking on the experienced and professional pool of technical experts in the country.
The Padma (Ganges) Barrage has been a pet theme of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina during her previous and current terms. In fact, she gave her go-ahead to building the barrage when she held a meeting with the officials of the Ministry of Water Resources in May 2014. She then gave instructions to name the barrage as 'Padma Barrage' as the river is known as Padma in the country. She directed the concerned officials to engage with India and if possible, ensure its participation in the construction of the barrage. Involving India in the trans-boundary river project would undoubtedly ensure its sustainability. Besides, technical and financial support from India will also make it easier to implement the project.
This article is mainly based on a paper titled 'Prostabita Ganga Barrage Prokalpa: Shamoshya O Shombhabana' written in Bangla
by Md. Nure Helal and presentedat the 19th Biennial Conference of Bangladesh Economic Association
in January 2015.

Dr. Helal Uddin Ahmed is a senior civil servant and former editor of Bangladesh Quarterly.
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