Speakers at a view-sharing meeting stressed the need for re-excavation of the derelict water-bodies like ponds and wetlands for conservation of surface water to maintain ecological balance in the region.They said large number of water-bodies have become derelict due to the adverse impact of climate change posing a serious threat to ecosystem with living and livelihood condition of the people.
Substantial and sustainable conservation of surface water resources along with its judicious use can be the vital means of supplementing the government efforts of successful implementation of Delta Plan 2100. The observation came in the daylong monthly coordination meeting of Barind Multipurpose Development Authority (BMDA), ever-largest irrigation providing state-owned entity in the country’s northwest region, held recently at its conference hall in Rajshahi.
Chaired by BMDA Chairman Dr Akram Hossain Chowdhury, the meeting was addressed, among others, by Executive Director Engineer Abdur Rashid, Secretary Rejaul Islam, Superintending Engineers Shamsul Huda and Jahangir Alam and Deputy Manager (Agriculture) Rafiqul Islam. More than 70 engineers and other officials concerned from all 16 districts under Rajshahi and Rangpur divisions were present at the meeting. Dr Akram Chowdhury said there are a lot of beels and ponds in Barind area and if those had been re-excavated properly, all the farming lands could have been brought under irrigation with conserving water round the year. Expressing his grave concern over the gradually mounting pressure on groundwater table he called more surface water based irrigation projects in the region and the high Barind tract in particular. Dr Chowdhury referred to the excessive use of groundwater for irrigation purposes leaving impacts on agriculture in the drought-prone area and mentioned that protecting groundwater resources has become indispensable for making its agricultural system protected and sustainable to feed the country’s gradually increasing population.
Improved irrigation method like Alternate Wet and Dry method should be introduced widely in order to reduce the irrigation demand. Coordinated efforts from different government and non- government sectors were essential to fight the vulnerability, he suggested.
Policy level interventions are necessary to achieve sustainability of groundwater use for achieving the food security in the country, Dr Chowdhury suggested saying that it is important to take necessary policy to reduce extraction of groundwater.
