PM for Ganges Barrage on Padma River

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UNB, Dhaka :
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Sunday stressed developing Ganges Barrage on the Padma River in Bangladesh under a joint venture project between Bangladesh and India.
The Prime Minister came up with the view when outgoing Indian High Commissioner to Bangladesh Pankaj Saran met her at her office.
After the meeting, PM’s Press Secretary Ihsanul Karim briefed reporters. The government has already completed the feasibility study and design of the proposed 2.1-km long Ganges Barrage Project at Pangsha in Rajbari, some 98km downstream from the Farakka Barrage built in Paschimbanga, India.
The proposed project has a reservoir to augment the flow of water and its equal distribution, in both dry and rainy seasons, over the Ganges dependent area. The project will meet the demand of Ganges water for agriculture, fisheries, ecosystem and navigation.
About $4 billion is needed to implement the Ganges Barrage Project. Once the project is implemented, the feasibility study says, agricultural production in the Ganges dependent area will increase while additional paddy production would be about 26 lakh metric tonnes, minimising the loss of paddy significantly. Additional fish production would be about 2.4 lakh metric tonnes.
Briefing reporters,  
the PM’s Press Secretary said Sheikh Hasina expressed satisfaction over the smooth implementation of Land Boundary Agreement -LBA – and its protocol on both sides.
She also expressed her confidence that all the remaining steps of the LBA would be completed in time.
Extending thanks to all the members of Indian Parliament for endorsing the LBA unanimously, the Prime Minister said her government is implementing comprehensive development programmes in the former enclaves to ensure civic amenities for their inhabitants.
The Prime Minister’s Office is monitoring all the development activities in the former enclaves, she added.
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