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GK irrigation project runs dry as India releases less water thru Farakka
Emran Hossain | Published: 01:31, Apr 26,2021
https://www.newagebd.net/article/13...dry-as-india-releases-less-water-thru-farakka
The water supply through the Ganges-Kobadak Irrigation Project has remained suspended for nine days as the water level at the River Padma fell abnormally low because India is not allowing the appropriate volume of Ganges water to flow through Farakka Barrage.
The suspension came at a time farmers in the irrigation project coverage area in the country’s south are in need of water more than ever before amid an exceptionally low rain causing heat shocks across rice fields.
‘We have not seen the River Padma flow so low in the last five years,’ said Water Development Board’s executive engineer Mizanur Rahman, also the chief of GKIP.
‘India is not releasing water at the level agreed upon in the Ganges Water Sharing Treaty,’ he said, adding that two of their pumps supposed to operate nonstop cannot be run due to low water level.
On Saturday, the water level at the GKIP pump house was 4.1 metres, lower than the minimum required level of 4.5 metres, said Mizan.
The GKIP project channels water from the River Padma 705 metres inland through a canal before lifting it up for distribution for agricultural use covering roughly about one lakh hectares in four districts — Kushtia, Chuadanga, Jhenidah and Magura, said Mizan.
WDB’s executive engineer Zahidul Islam said that the water flow at Hardinge Bridge point was recorded at 29,953 cusecs on Saturday.
The Ganges Water Sharing Treaty signed between India and Bangladesh remains in effect for five months from January to May, the lean period when natural water flow becomes scarce, said WDB officials.
The treaty guarantees India the withdrawal of 35,000 cusecs of water for 10 days in a row and then Bangladesh should receive the same flow of water for the next 10 days, the time known as the guarantee period, said JRC officials.
The countries are entitled to enjoy the guarantee period by turn throughout the lean season.
Bangladesh is currently on its guarantee period from April 21 but the water flow never met the milestone of 35,000 cusecs. The flow reduces to 20,000 to 22,000 cusecs during India’s guarantee period, according to JRC.
‘There is understandably a crisis of water because of increased demand upstream amid low rain this year,’ said Joint Rivers Commission member Mahmudur Rahman.
He, however, hoped that the cumulative release of water through the Farakka Barrage in India’s Murshidabad would be balanced out in the end.
Bangladesh is no stranger to low water release through the Farakka Barrage which forced the GKIP to stop supplying water in 2016 for ten days.
The GKIP can supply about 12,000 cusecs throughout the lean season to its coverage area if its two pumps can operate without trouble.
Shyamal Kumar Biswas, deputy director of the Department of Agricultural Extension’s Kushtia office, said that inadequate water supply can destroy rice at the flowering stage.
About 32,000 farmers cultivated boro in 6,500 hectares in the GKIP coverage area this year.
‘Farmers may meet their demand by lifting water from underground but it would increase their cost of production,’ said Shyamal.
WDB officials said that water supply from India fell so low over the years that they could hardly irrigate 50,000 hectares, leaving farmers in nearly half of their coverage area in water scarcity.
Water experts blamed the reduced water flow in the Ganges on random diversion of water in the upper riparian areas.
‘We are taking measures for getting the right share of the Ganges river water,’ said water resources deputy minister AKM Enamul Hoque Shameem.
Emran Hossain | Published: 01:31, Apr 26,2021
https://www.newagebd.net/article/13...dry-as-india-releases-less-water-thru-farakka
The water supply through the Ganges-Kobadak Irrigation Project has remained suspended for nine days as the water level at the River Padma fell abnormally low because India is not allowing the appropriate volume of Ganges water to flow through Farakka Barrage.
The suspension came at a time farmers in the irrigation project coverage area in the country’s south are in need of water more than ever before amid an exceptionally low rain causing heat shocks across rice fields.
‘We have not seen the River Padma flow so low in the last five years,’ said Water Development Board’s executive engineer Mizanur Rahman, also the chief of GKIP.
‘India is not releasing water at the level agreed upon in the Ganges Water Sharing Treaty,’ he said, adding that two of their pumps supposed to operate nonstop cannot be run due to low water level.
On Saturday, the water level at the GKIP pump house was 4.1 metres, lower than the minimum required level of 4.5 metres, said Mizan.
The GKIP project channels water from the River Padma 705 metres inland through a canal before lifting it up for distribution for agricultural use covering roughly about one lakh hectares in four districts — Kushtia, Chuadanga, Jhenidah and Magura, said Mizan.
WDB’s executive engineer Zahidul Islam said that the water flow at Hardinge Bridge point was recorded at 29,953 cusecs on Saturday.
The Ganges Water Sharing Treaty signed between India and Bangladesh remains in effect for five months from January to May, the lean period when natural water flow becomes scarce, said WDB officials.
The treaty guarantees India the withdrawal of 35,000 cusecs of water for 10 days in a row and then Bangladesh should receive the same flow of water for the next 10 days, the time known as the guarantee period, said JRC officials.
The countries are entitled to enjoy the guarantee period by turn throughout the lean season.
Bangladesh is currently on its guarantee period from April 21 but the water flow never met the milestone of 35,000 cusecs. The flow reduces to 20,000 to 22,000 cusecs during India’s guarantee period, according to JRC.
‘There is understandably a crisis of water because of increased demand upstream amid low rain this year,’ said Joint Rivers Commission member Mahmudur Rahman.
He, however, hoped that the cumulative release of water through the Farakka Barrage in India’s Murshidabad would be balanced out in the end.
Bangladesh is no stranger to low water release through the Farakka Barrage which forced the GKIP to stop supplying water in 2016 for ten days.
The GKIP can supply about 12,000 cusecs throughout the lean season to its coverage area if its two pumps can operate without trouble.
Shyamal Kumar Biswas, deputy director of the Department of Agricultural Extension’s Kushtia office, said that inadequate water supply can destroy rice at the flowering stage.
About 32,000 farmers cultivated boro in 6,500 hectares in the GKIP coverage area this year.
‘Farmers may meet their demand by lifting water from underground but it would increase their cost of production,’ said Shyamal.
WDB officials said that water supply from India fell so low over the years that they could hardly irrigate 50,000 hectares, leaving farmers in nearly half of their coverage area in water scarcity.
Water experts blamed the reduced water flow in the Ganges on random diversion of water in the upper riparian areas.
‘We are taking measures for getting the right share of the Ganges river water,’ said water resources deputy minister AKM Enamul Hoque Shameem.
