BORO production is set to brace a major set back this year in the Teesta Barrage Irrigation Project (TBIP) area covering three districts of Rangpur, Nilphamari and Dinajpur as farmers blamed their inability to get water from the Teesta River in the dry season. A report published in a national English daily on Sunday highlighted a record low flow in the Teesta River due to unilateral withdrawal of water at the upstream by the West Bengal government in India. The water withdrawal is thus poising to be the biggest threat to the Boro crop this season. Water flow in the Teesta River reached a rock bottom level of only 500 cusec this time from 5,000 in earlier seasons. The river bed is now filled with sand and running dunes as the summer wind is blowing over the empty water lanes. In this situation farmers fear that Boro crop may severely fail to achieve the targets of this year over the 12 upazilas of the three districts. News reports further said farmers have destroyed irrigation canals at many places in protest and have attempted to irrigate Boro land by diesel run deep tube wells. But this is also hitting snag because of high costs. Per acre irrigation cost by tube well may hit Tk 2000 as against Tk 300 from water from the Teesta River.
TBIP facilitates Boro production to over 2.75 lakhs acres of land but this year the target has been reduced to 1.50 acres. Out of it, officials of the Department of Agricultural Extension said only 24,700 acres to 37,000 acres of land under the barrage project are receiving water on a basis of rationing; water distribution is being shifted from one area to another. Irrigation to over another 44,500 acres of land is also hitting similar snags threatening to destabilize the entire Boro production target of the region and this in turn may further destabilize the country’s food security targets.
As we see, the problem arises out of the West Bengal government’s unilateral withdrawal of water at Gazoldoba point on the upstream depriving Bangladesh of its due share as a lower riparian country. Teesta’s Bangladesh portion becomes almost dry over the recent years as India has built dams at the upstream. But this year it has almost ceased to deliver water without any valid reason. India is also withholding the signing of the Teesta Water Sharing Agreement although the Indian Prime Minister agreed to sign it in September 2011. Reports said the impact of India’s action is being felt everywhere. According to agricultural officials Boro farming on another 40,000 acres of land under the TBIP is facing difficulties due to acute water crisis, as water is not available in the river.
Needless to say, we are bewildered by the mindless act of unilateral withdrawal of water by India which is creating ecological and environmental problems and are turning the regions to desert on the one hand and causing food production problems to add to food security concerns on the other. We hold the view that India must prove its sincerity to Bangladesh and be an honest neighbour. None of us can live in a hostile environment.
