Bangladesh is likely to seek Indian finances to build the Ganges Barrage over Padma as India stands to benefit from the proposed water reservoir, officials at the Water Development Board said on Wednesday.
"We've already requested the Prime Minister's Office to secure Indian financial support. And a meeting was held recently to move the issue forward," a WDB official said.
It will require Tk 320 billion to construct the barrage, which can create a 2,900-million cubic metre water reservoir in the barrage upstream from Pangsa near Rajbari to Pangkha near the Indian border, according to a Pakistani consultancy firm study.
If constructed, water officials said the barrage will not only increase water level in dozens of rivers in Bangladesh's South-West (S-W) region, also feed several trans-border rivers due to gravitational flow.
India reserves the rights to lift 200 cusec of water from trans-borders rivers located near the S-W zone of Bangladesh as per the provision of the Ganges water treaty.
The proposed Ganges (Padma) Barrage to be constructed over the river Padma at Pangsa point near Rajbari would create a 160-kilometer-long and 62,500 hectares area reservoir.
In the upstream of the barrage the reservoir will help raise the water level to 12.5 meters level with the water coming from the Farakka point.
The barrage is expected to solve the current water salinity problem in more than 21 S-W zone districts.
The WDB officials said the sweet water from barrage before falling in the Bay would enter in the S-W districts and dilute the water salinity.
Currently India is getting extra water by intervening the natural flow at the Farakka point.
A member of the joint river commission (JRC) said as India would benefit from the barrage so there should be negotiations with them in securing partial funds for the Ganges barrage.
He said water would flow into the rivers of Voirab, Julongi and others in the India territory and India has the rights to draw water from those rivers.
The JRC member requesting anonymity said, "We have not yet calculated the India's benefit from the barrage and it is unlikely that India will help us to construct the barrage."
The Farakka barrage has reduced the water level in many rivers in the S-W zone of Bangladesh and agriculture, fishing and human lives are in danger due to increasing salinity.
The government's water development body is currently spending huge amount of money to save the rivers and if once the barrage is constructed it would save Tk 70 billion every year.
Project director of the Ganges (Padma) Barrage Engr M Akmal Hossain said the Prime Minister (PM) is aware of India's benefit and she has already discussed the matters with senior officials.
He said the PM has laid stress on the project and getting Japanese finances to build the barrage is a top priority during her Japan trip.
Several experts who oppose construction of the barrage said the barrage would not properly use the water and enormous amount of water will go outside the country.
They say when the water level is 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," said a water expert.
But the JRC member ruled out such possibility, saying there is no scope of flowing water from the barrage into the Indian rivers as regulators will keep water from flowing into the Indian rivers.
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