Efforts on to implement Padma Barrage project

Water resources officials are accelerating efforts at the top level over executing the Padma Barrage project to save some 21 south-west districts of the country from water crisis and salinity.
Sources in the Bangladesh Water Development Board (BWDB) said the water that Bangladesh gets from the Ganges River through the Farakka Barrage is being misused as it is falling in the Bay of Bengal.
The concept on which the water experts are working is that if the project is implemented, Bangladesh would be able to hold water in the upstream of the barrage and there would be an enormous reservoir.The water level of the reservoir would increase from the existing four metres to 12.5 metres; as a result the sweet water of the Ganges will enter the rivers flowing towards the south-west region.

As per estimation in a study conducted by a Pakistani firm in collaboration with others, there would a 2,900 million cubic metre water reservoir in the barrage upstream from Pangsa near Rajbari to Pangkha near the Indian border.
The length of the reservoir would be 165 kilometres with an area of 62,500 hectares.
Project director of the Ganges (Padma) Barrage Engr M Akmal Hossain said, "We had a meeting in the Prime Minister's Office a few weeks back and the meeting took a decision to form a committee headed by the ministry of foreign affairs with participation of different ministries."
He said, "We are trying to take the matter to the top level of the government and make them understand about the importance of the barrage."
According to the study report, the barrage would help to revive the dried out rivers in the south-west region of Bangladesh.
The water level in this region is decreasing, the eco-friendly environment is already facing threat, river erosion is taking a heavy toll on human lives and the overall sweet water based natural resources are in danger.
The Economic Relations Division (ERD) has already written letters to several donor agencies to know whether they are interested to finance the mega project.
An official at the BWDB said, "So far as we know the ERD has got response from the several donor agencies and is waiting for more such responses."
There are also a number of experts who oppose construction of the barrage saying that India would be benefited from it.
They say when the water level would be at 12.5 metres in the upstream of the barrage, water will enter many rivers flowing towards India; so if India draws water from the common rivers, Bangladesh will have nothing to do.
A member in the Joint River Commission preferring not to be named said, "There is scope of flowing water from the barrage to the Indian rivers as we will stop the water in our side through regulators."
Meanwhile, a renowned water expert told the FE, "I support implementation of the Padma Barrage but water should be taken to the south-west region by utilising the existing river net."
He said if water is taken to the regions by digging canals, it would destroy a large area of lands.
Another official at the BWDB said as India would be benefited from the project as well, they may come forward to help implement the project.
The director of the project said ultimately the water that would be held in the barrage upstream would fall in the Bay but we want to use the sweet water in our south-east region before its going to the Bay.
He said the sweet water would mix with the saline water in the affected areas and would dilute the water salinity.