Big project coming to expand Padma water use in Barendra, agriculture minister inspects BMDA work in Godagari

The government is taking up a large project to expand the use of water from the Padma River for farming and irrigation in the Barendra region. Agriculture and Fisheries and Livestock Minister Mohammad Amin Ur Rashid said preparations for the project have already been completed.

The minister spoke on Thursday morning (5 November) while inspecting development work of the Barendra Multipurpose Development Authority (BMDA) in Godagari upazila of Rajshahi. He expressed hope that the project would be approved in the quickest possible time.

The minister said Bangladesh's economy can only be strengthened by strengthening agriculture, and that ensuring a fair price for farmers' produce is essential. He said the current government is working on this.

He said groundwater has long been used for farming in the Barendra region, but there is no alternative to discouraging excessive groundwater use and increasing the use of surface water.

At the start of the visit, the minister inspected water lifting and supply by pump through a pontoon from the Padma River at Hatpara in Godagari. He later inspected the Sarmangla canal, exchanged views with farmers and BMDA officials, and joined a tree-planting programme on the canal bank.

The minister then inspected solar and electric irrigation pumps at Kalipur-3. He was briefed there on supplying surplus solar power to the national grid through net metering after irrigation use.

On the Padma water project, the minister said surface water use in the Barendra region would rise once it is implemented. Pressure on groundwater would fall, and silt in river water would help increase the fertility of farmland.

On solar-based irrigation, he said Prime Minister Tarique Rahman has directed that about 17,000 deep tube wells under the BMDA be converted to solar-powered pumps. If surplus power after irrigation can be supplied to the national grid, proper use of electricity would also be ensured, he said.

Earlier, BMDA executive director Md Jahangir Alam Khan briefed the minister on the agency's ongoing work, development projects and future plans.

According to the information presented, the BMDA has 716 deep tube wells in Godagari upazila. It has also re-excavated 118 kilometres of canals, re-excavated 462 ponds and built 41 kilometres of rural roads. A total of 76,345 farmers are benefiting through farmer training and various irrigation activities.

The Sarmangla canal is about 29 kilometres long. There is a plan to expand irrigation to about 35,000 hectares of land through the canal. Two pumps have been installed to lift water from the Padma River.

At the Kalipur-3 solar irrigation project in Godagari, 45 solar panels have been installed. A 13-kilowatt solar pump irrigates 264 bighas of land, benefiting 74 farmers.

BMDA additional chief engineer Dr Md Abul Kashem, superintending engineers Md Nazirul Islam, Md Abdul Latif, Md Shibir Ahmed and Md Tarikul Islam, executive engineers Md Atiqur Rahman and Md Mostafizur Rahman, senior officials of the Department of Agricultural Extension, BADC and BMDA, local farmers and others concerned were present.