Scanty water flow drying up Padma, its tributaries: experts
Tuesday, 9 February 2010
RAJSHAHI, Feb 08 (BSS): The scanty water flow had been triggering the drying up process of the mighty Padma and its tributaries causing an adverse impact on environment in the drought-prone Barind tract, experts said.
They said the entire northern and southern regions of the country, particularly the vast Barind tract, were facing ecological disorder due to adverse impact of the gradual drying up of the river.
They said the water level was being reduced rapidly and it had reached the lowest mark during the current dry season. A large number of big shoals had emerged in the river and its mainstream splitting the flow into numerous tiny and small confluences.
The river had now the lowest water flow in some narrower channels that caused emergence of hundreds of shoals hampering navigability throughout its courses both in the up- stream and downstream, they added.
Officials of Bangladesh Water Development Board (BWDB) told the news agency that the water level has been reducing to a greater extent this season in comparison with the last couple of years.
In addition to the existing numerous ones, bigger shoals are emerging. After analyzing the decreasing trend, the experts expressed their apprehension that the declining condition would continue until the monsoon begins in June next that would lead the entire northern and southern regions to a more disastrous situation.
Meanwhile, the ground water table has been lowering in the vast Barind tract with the reduction of water level in the river creating an apprehension of non-functioning of the hand-driven tubewells.
Former director of Institute of Environmental Sciences (IES) of Rajshahi University (RU) Prof Dr Sarwar Jahan said the drying up of the river and its tributaries had caused abnormal lowering of the underground water levels and also seriously affected the traditional irrigation for lack of adequate water flows.
Besides, he said the conventional livelihood on the river basin, navigation, environment and bio-diversity had been threatened causing grave concern to the habitations in the river basin.
They said the entire northern and southern regions of the country, particularly the vast Barind tract, were facing ecological disorder due to adverse impact of the gradual drying up of the river.
They said the water level was being reduced rapidly and it had reached the lowest mark during the current dry season. A large number of big shoals had emerged in the river and its mainstream splitting the flow into numerous tiny and small confluences.
The river had now the lowest water flow in some narrower channels that caused emergence of hundreds of shoals hampering navigability throughout its courses both in the up- stream and downstream, they added.
Officials of Bangladesh Water Development Board (BWDB) told the news agency that the water level has been reducing to a greater extent this season in comparison with the last couple of years.
In addition to the existing numerous ones, bigger shoals are emerging. After analyzing the decreasing trend, the experts expressed their apprehension that the declining condition would continue until the monsoon begins in June next that would lead the entire northern and southern regions to a more disastrous situation.
Meanwhile, the ground water table has been lowering in the vast Barind tract with the reduction of water level in the river creating an apprehension of non-functioning of the hand-driven tubewells.
Former director of Institute of Environmental Sciences (IES) of Rajshahi University (RU) Prof Dr Sarwar Jahan said the drying up of the river and its tributaries had caused abnormal lowering of the underground water levels and also seriously affected the traditional irrigation for lack of adequate water flows.
Besides, he said the conventional livelihood on the river basin, navigation, environment and bio-diversity had been threatened causing grave concern to the habitations in the river basin.