Fourteen years of Farakka Barrage:Mighty Padma turns into desert
The ecological balance of the northwestern and eastern region has already been destroyed and all related sectors like the agriculture, environment, underground water level, weather and biodiversity are being ruined
The once-mighty Padma that flows through the northwestern and eastern parts of Bangladesh has turned into a virtual desert over the last 14 years as a result of the treaty regarding the death trap Farakka. Padma appears to be in the throes of death with massive chars (sandbars) forming at regular intervals. Drastic fall in groundwater level, heavy deposition of silt, emergence of numerous shoals and erosion has posed as a serious threat to the overall ecological balance of the northern region.
The major rivers such as the Padma, Mahananda and Teesta have almost dried up over the years as consequences of the barrages built upstream across the border. The ecological balance of northwestern and eastern region has already been destroyed and all related sectors like the agriculture, environment, underground water level, weather, biodiversity are being rapidly ruined.
In this regard, not only Rajshahi and Paksey are endangered, bordering districts like Kushtia, Natore, Bogra and Sirajganj are also at risk. The rivers and tributaries passing through these districts have lost their past glory because normal water flow to Bangladesh is being obstructed beyond the border.
The ecological balance is endangered following unilateral withdrawal of water from the river Padma by India at Farakka. The subterranean water level has gone by 80 to 90 feet and if the trend continues, the flora and fauna will be totally destroyed. This is a clear process of desertification.
Affect on the sister rivers north and west
The water level of Padma at Rajshahi and Paksey points is below all time past records. Many sweet water fish have already disappeared because the climate of Rajshahi has taken on a desert effect.
Rivers, tributaries, canals, marshes and other water bodies are drying up, sand dunes stretch endlessly. In the past, the torrent Padma and the Mahananda was so strong that the sound of the water dashing against the pillars of Hardinge Bridge were heard from half a mile away. But nowadays the bridge spans expanses of sand during the lean period.
Over eight lakh acres of arable land have been rendered barren in last two decades. Unilateral withdrawal of water through the Farakka Barrage has reduced the mighty Padma to a few narrow canals in Chapainawabganj, Rajshahi and Pabna.
The river has almost dried up now at all points and its bed under the Paksey Railway Bridge at Iswardi upazila of Pabna has now become cultivable land. The Mahananda in Panchagarh has almost dried up due to unilateral water withdrawal through the Mahananda Barrage in the upper catchment area.
There is almost only sand in the bed of the Teesta at Lalmonirhat, Nilphamari, Kurigram and Gaibandha. The unilateral withdrawal of water through the Gozaldoba Barrage upstream has made the entire downstream area of the Teesta Barrage a barren land. Choto Jamuna, Karotoa, Jamuneswari, Tulshiganga, Ghaghot, Fakirni, Saniajan, Buri Teesta, Gingirum, Sonavori, Fulkumar and some other 20 smaller rivers and tributaries in the region have dried up for the same reason.
River Dharla has now water channels of up to only 10 metres in width, with a maximum depth of only one metre in Lalmonirhat and Kurigram. The numerous shoals in the bed of the Brahmaputra have divided the mighty river into four to seven smaller channels with a trickling water flow in Kurigram. Officials and experts express serious concern over the prevailing condition of these major rivers.
Decreasing water of Padma
According to the Water Development Board, the water of Padma has not crossed danger level after 2003. The danger level of Padma water is 18.50 meters. It was last 18.85 meters on September 19, 2003. The highest water level of Padma was 17.48 meters in 2004.
Farakka Dam is 6 km from the Rajshahi border. Indian control on the distribution of Padma's waters is the main cause of northern regional climate change, sources complain.
According to sources in Bangladesh Water Development Board in Rajshahi, the water level of the river Padma started to decrease seriously from mid-September 2008. On September 15 the water level near Rampur-Boalia point was 17.8 meters but on September 26 the water level fell to 15.74 meters, on October 15 the level stood at 15.39 meters and on October 31 the level reduced to 13.39 meters. On October 31, 2008 the level was 13.92 meters. In November 31 it saw an alarming fall to 11.36 meters. This dipped to 9.65 meters during the first week of January 2009. BWDB officials apprehend the water level of Padma might go below 7 meters during the peak dry season if the withdrawal of water through Farakka continues at the present rate.
According to the 30-year water sharing treaty with India, the dry season starts from January 1. According to the treaty Bangladesh was supposed to receive 67,516 cusecs of water during the first ten days of January 2009 but only 55,883 cusec of water was released through Farakka. Bangladesh received 11,633 cusecs less water. This was not done only this year, but for the last ten years or so. The issue has been raised several times at the meetings of Joint River Commission but in vain.
Drastic affect on agriculture
Many tubewells of Rajshahi city areas and adjacent to the river Padma have dried up due to a receding water level. Hundreds of shallow tube wells used for irrigating crop lands are in the same state. Farmers of Barind Irrigation Project apprehend that the deep tube wells being used for irrigation might fail to bring up sufficient water. This is a threat to agriculture during the dry period.
Fisheries at the Padma are threatened with the extinction of hundreds of species of sweet water fish, sources of Fisheries Department in Rajshahi say.
Experts predict that the major irrigation project, Kapatakkhya Irrigation Project, might face closure and the region might face disaster if the river could not be restored to its usual shape. Marine researchers say the groundwater table has been on a sharp downward bend in recent times which might be the result of dwindling water flow of Padma.
Availability of the sweet water fish has reduced drastically with almost extinction of dozens of species in the past two decades. "We have no control over the floods, river erosion and situation of river beds now in the region as the neighboring nation is withdrawing common river waters unilaterally causing drying up of our all rivers," experts in WDB and DAE told PROBE recently.
Sufferings of the char people
People living beside the river Padma near Rajshahi said, due to drastic fall in water level, the river routes remain totally suspended. Some five million people living at the char villages of Godagari, Paba, Bagha, Charghat upazilas of Rajshahi and Bholahat of Chapainawabganj district face great difficulties in travel and communication with the main land. Some have even to traverse more than ten kilometers through sand dunes, chars and shallow water to reach the district headquarters. This is catastrophic for patients and during other emergencies.
Heritage of Padma
The Padma is the mainstream of Ganges which originates in the Himalayas. Padma enters Bangladesh from India through Chapainawabganj. It meets Jamuna near Aricha and retains its name, but finally meets Meghna near Chandpur and adopts the name 'Meghna' before flowing into the Bay of Bengal. Its maximum depth was 1,571 feet (479 m) and average depth was 968 feet (295 m).
The people of the region are extremely concerned about the prevailing situation and call upon the authorities to take effective measures before the rivers really disappear and the land becomes a desert.
http://probenewsmagazine.com/index.php?ind...;contentId=5768
The ecological balance of the northwestern and eastern region has already been destroyed and all related sectors like the agriculture, environment, underground water level, weather and biodiversity are being ruined
The once-mighty Padma that flows through the northwestern and eastern parts of Bangladesh has turned into a virtual desert over the last 14 years as a result of the treaty regarding the death trap Farakka. Padma appears to be in the throes of death with massive chars (sandbars) forming at regular intervals. Drastic fall in groundwater level, heavy deposition of silt, emergence of numerous shoals and erosion has posed as a serious threat to the overall ecological balance of the northern region.
The major rivers such as the Padma, Mahananda and Teesta have almost dried up over the years as consequences of the barrages built upstream across the border. The ecological balance of northwestern and eastern region has already been destroyed and all related sectors like the agriculture, environment, underground water level, weather, biodiversity are being rapidly ruined.
In this regard, not only Rajshahi and Paksey are endangered, bordering districts like Kushtia, Natore, Bogra and Sirajganj are also at risk. The rivers and tributaries passing through these districts have lost their past glory because normal water flow to Bangladesh is being obstructed beyond the border.
The ecological balance is endangered following unilateral withdrawal of water from the river Padma by India at Farakka. The subterranean water level has gone by 80 to 90 feet and if the trend continues, the flora and fauna will be totally destroyed. This is a clear process of desertification.
Affect on the sister rivers north and west
The water level of Padma at Rajshahi and Paksey points is below all time past records. Many sweet water fish have already disappeared because the climate of Rajshahi has taken on a desert effect.
Rivers, tributaries, canals, marshes and other water bodies are drying up, sand dunes stretch endlessly. In the past, the torrent Padma and the Mahananda was so strong that the sound of the water dashing against the pillars of Hardinge Bridge were heard from half a mile away. But nowadays the bridge spans expanses of sand during the lean period.
Over eight lakh acres of arable land have been rendered barren in last two decades. Unilateral withdrawal of water through the Farakka Barrage has reduced the mighty Padma to a few narrow canals in Chapainawabganj, Rajshahi and Pabna.
The river has almost dried up now at all points and its bed under the Paksey Railway Bridge at Iswardi upazila of Pabna has now become cultivable land. The Mahananda in Panchagarh has almost dried up due to unilateral water withdrawal through the Mahananda Barrage in the upper catchment area.
There is almost only sand in the bed of the Teesta at Lalmonirhat, Nilphamari, Kurigram and Gaibandha. The unilateral withdrawal of water through the Gozaldoba Barrage upstream has made the entire downstream area of the Teesta Barrage a barren land. Choto Jamuna, Karotoa, Jamuneswari, Tulshiganga, Ghaghot, Fakirni, Saniajan, Buri Teesta, Gingirum, Sonavori, Fulkumar and some other 20 smaller rivers and tributaries in the region have dried up for the same reason.
River Dharla has now water channels of up to only 10 metres in width, with a maximum depth of only one metre in Lalmonirhat and Kurigram. The numerous shoals in the bed of the Brahmaputra have divided the mighty river into four to seven smaller channels with a trickling water flow in Kurigram. Officials and experts express serious concern over the prevailing condition of these major rivers.
Decreasing water of Padma
According to the Water Development Board, the water of Padma has not crossed danger level after 2003. The danger level of Padma water is 18.50 meters. It was last 18.85 meters on September 19, 2003. The highest water level of Padma was 17.48 meters in 2004.
Farakka Dam is 6 km from the Rajshahi border. Indian control on the distribution of Padma's waters is the main cause of northern regional climate change, sources complain.
According to sources in Bangladesh Water Development Board in Rajshahi, the water level of the river Padma started to decrease seriously from mid-September 2008. On September 15 the water level near Rampur-Boalia point was 17.8 meters but on September 26 the water level fell to 15.74 meters, on October 15 the level stood at 15.39 meters and on October 31 the level reduced to 13.39 meters. On October 31, 2008 the level was 13.92 meters. In November 31 it saw an alarming fall to 11.36 meters. This dipped to 9.65 meters during the first week of January 2009. BWDB officials apprehend the water level of Padma might go below 7 meters during the peak dry season if the withdrawal of water through Farakka continues at the present rate.
According to the 30-year water sharing treaty with India, the dry season starts from January 1. According to the treaty Bangladesh was supposed to receive 67,516 cusecs of water during the first ten days of January 2009 but only 55,883 cusec of water was released through Farakka. Bangladesh received 11,633 cusecs less water. This was not done only this year, but for the last ten years or so. The issue has been raised several times at the meetings of Joint River Commission but in vain.
Drastic affect on agriculture
Many tubewells of Rajshahi city areas and adjacent to the river Padma have dried up due to a receding water level. Hundreds of shallow tube wells used for irrigating crop lands are in the same state. Farmers of Barind Irrigation Project apprehend that the deep tube wells being used for irrigation might fail to bring up sufficient water. This is a threat to agriculture during the dry period.
Fisheries at the Padma are threatened with the extinction of hundreds of species of sweet water fish, sources of Fisheries Department in Rajshahi say.
Experts predict that the major irrigation project, Kapatakkhya Irrigation Project, might face closure and the region might face disaster if the river could not be restored to its usual shape. Marine researchers say the groundwater table has been on a sharp downward bend in recent times which might be the result of dwindling water flow of Padma.
Availability of the sweet water fish has reduced drastically with almost extinction of dozens of species in the past two decades. "We have no control over the floods, river erosion and situation of river beds now in the region as the neighboring nation is withdrawing common river waters unilaterally causing drying up of our all rivers," experts in WDB and DAE told PROBE recently.
Sufferings of the char people
People living beside the river Padma near Rajshahi said, due to drastic fall in water level, the river routes remain totally suspended. Some five million people living at the char villages of Godagari, Paba, Bagha, Charghat upazilas of Rajshahi and Bholahat of Chapainawabganj district face great difficulties in travel and communication with the main land. Some have even to traverse more than ten kilometers through sand dunes, chars and shallow water to reach the district headquarters. This is catastrophic for patients and during other emergencies.
Heritage of Padma
The Padma is the mainstream of Ganges which originates in the Himalayas. Padma enters Bangladesh from India through Chapainawabganj. It meets Jamuna near Aricha and retains its name, but finally meets Meghna near Chandpur and adopts the name 'Meghna' before flowing into the Bay of Bengal. Its maximum depth was 1,571 feet (479 m) and average depth was 968 feet (295 m).
The people of the region are extremely concerned about the prevailing situation and call upon the authorities to take effective measures before the rivers really disappear and the land becomes a desert.
http://probenewsmagazine.com/index.php?ind...;contentId=5768
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