Water sharing of common rivers
Indian govt yet to give weightage to right of small neighbour
Water sharing of joint rivers between Bangladesh and India is yet get a 'normal' shape as the upper riparian country's government puts less importance to honour the right of its small neighbour, an investigation has revealed.(New nation)
Of the 54 common rivers flowing in the two countries before falling into the Bay of Bengal, water of only one river is shared under a treaty, but the lower riparian nation hardly get its proper share indicated in the deal.
Farmers in Teesta Barrage area of Nilphamari district did not get minimal volume of water during this season in January and February when water was very much needed for farming.
Failing to get water from the Teesta Barrage, farmers during the period used shallow pumps to irrigate their lands. For this, farmers had to spend a lot to buy diesel to run pumps.
India raised water flow in Teesta river during the first week of March when there is no use of water in the fields. Aynal Huq, a farmer of Nilphamari canal told this correspondent that, "We do not need water now. We did not get water in time when water was very much essential for cultivation."
Another farmer Moinuddin Mia said at present there is huge water both in main and sub canals of Teesta Barrage. "We don't know what the use of this water is. We did not get water timely when it was crucial."
According to the statistics during the first week of February water flow in Teesta Barrage point came down to around 3,000 cusec and continued to decline when at least 8,000 cusec water is very much necessary to irrigate the lands of barrage covered area.
The Indian government raised water release in Teesta river during the recent India visit of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and when the members of Joint Rivers Committee (JRC) were visiting the barrage area. But water flow started to decline when the PM's visit was over.
Officials concerned said during the dry season India irrigate 61,000 acres of land in Jalpaiguri district, 17,000 acres in Darjiling, 38,000 acres in Maldoho and 204,000 acres in south and north Dianjpur district by diverting Teesta water through its Gazaldoba barrage.
"This is why farmers of Teesta Barrage area do not get minimal water during the dry season," said an official.
Teesta river was originated in Sikim in an altitude of 7,200 meters of the Himalayan mountain. It entered Bangladesh through Kharibari border area under Nilphamari district. Of the total 315 kilometres of Teesta river, Bangladesh portion is 115 kilometres.
Officials said with a view to helping irrigation and employment generation in grater Rangpur district the first feasibility study of Teesta Barrage was conducted in 1960 and a report was prepared then. Later, another report was prepared in 1970 based on which the present place at Doani in Nilphamari was selected for the barrage.
The than President Ziaur Rahman on December 12, 1979 inaugurated the construction work of the first phase of Teesta Barrage. Construction works of second phase of the barrage is going on where irrigation target is around 6 lakh hectres.
Farmers of 12 upzilas of Nilphamari, Rangpur and Dinajpur districts enjoy the irrigation facilities of the barrage. One lakh 54 thousand hectres of land of Dimla, Joldhaka, Kishorganj, Nilphamari Sadar, Syedpur, Rangpur Sadar, Taraganj, Badarganj, Gongachora, Parbatipur, Chiribandar and Khansama upazila get the irrigation from the barrage water.
Bangladesh Water Development Board (WDB) statistics show that due to the fewer water supplies through the Teesta river irrigation of the targeted land area could not be done during the last couple of years. Around 30,000 hectares of land couldn't be cultivated during the fiscal year 2008-09 and 2009-10 due to low water flow. But unofficial statistics show that the figure of water supplies was much lower than the WDB.
Foyzur Rahman, Sub Divisional Engineer of WDB in Dalia, told The New Nation recently that last year they were very much helpless as water flow in Teesta was very poor. Hundreds of thousands of farmers become ferocious being deprived of water to irrigate their lands.
Hundreds of thousands of farmers last year staged demonstration protesting the fewer water supplies from neighboring India.
When visiting the area recently, farmers in Dalia village told this correspondent that cultivation of lands of the first phase become very tough as India does not release water in time. It is not possible to cultivate lands of the second phase unless the upper riparian country willingly releases adequate water timely.
Talking to The New Nation water expert Dr Inun Nishat said the Teest river can contain 3.5 thousand cusec to 5 thousand cusec water. The main canal of Teesta Barrage has the capacity to hold 8 thousand cusec of water.
"If even India does not divert water from Teesta river, the main canal of the barrage will remain dry and adequate water won't be available for irrigation," he said.
http://nation.ittefaq.com/issues/2010/04/29/news0823.htm
Of the 54 common rivers flowing in the two countries before falling into the Bay of Bengal, water of only one river is shared under a treaty, but the lower riparian nation hardly get its proper share indicated in the deal.
Farmers in Teesta Barrage area of Nilphamari district did not get minimal volume of water during this season in January and February when water was very much needed for farming.
Failing to get water from the Teesta Barrage, farmers during the period used shallow pumps to irrigate their lands. For this, farmers had to spend a lot to buy diesel to run pumps.
India raised water flow in Teesta river during the first week of March when there is no use of water in the fields. Aynal Huq, a farmer of Nilphamari canal told this correspondent that, "We do not need water now. We did not get water in time when water was very much essential for cultivation."
Another farmer Moinuddin Mia said at present there is huge water both in main and sub canals of Teesta Barrage. "We don't know what the use of this water is. We did not get water timely when it was crucial."
According to the statistics during the first week of February water flow in Teesta Barrage point came down to around 3,000 cusec and continued to decline when at least 8,000 cusec water is very much necessary to irrigate the lands of barrage covered area.
The Indian government raised water release in Teesta river during the recent India visit of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and when the members of Joint Rivers Committee (JRC) were visiting the barrage area. But water flow started to decline when the PM's visit was over.
Officials concerned said during the dry season India irrigate 61,000 acres of land in Jalpaiguri district, 17,000 acres in Darjiling, 38,000 acres in Maldoho and 204,000 acres in south and north Dianjpur district by diverting Teesta water through its Gazaldoba barrage.
"This is why farmers of Teesta Barrage area do not get minimal water during the dry season," said an official.
Teesta river was originated in Sikim in an altitude of 7,200 meters of the Himalayan mountain. It entered Bangladesh through Kharibari border area under Nilphamari district. Of the total 315 kilometres of Teesta river, Bangladesh portion is 115 kilometres.
Officials said with a view to helping irrigation and employment generation in grater Rangpur district the first feasibility study of Teesta Barrage was conducted in 1960 and a report was prepared then. Later, another report was prepared in 1970 based on which the present place at Doani in Nilphamari was selected for the barrage.
The than President Ziaur Rahman on December 12, 1979 inaugurated the construction work of the first phase of Teesta Barrage. Construction works of second phase of the barrage is going on where irrigation target is around 6 lakh hectres.
Farmers of 12 upzilas of Nilphamari, Rangpur and Dinajpur districts enjoy the irrigation facilities of the barrage. One lakh 54 thousand hectres of land of Dimla, Joldhaka, Kishorganj, Nilphamari Sadar, Syedpur, Rangpur Sadar, Taraganj, Badarganj, Gongachora, Parbatipur, Chiribandar and Khansama upazila get the irrigation from the barrage water.
Bangladesh Water Development Board (WDB) statistics show that due to the fewer water supplies through the Teesta river irrigation of the targeted land area could not be done during the last couple of years. Around 30,000 hectares of land couldn't be cultivated during the fiscal year 2008-09 and 2009-10 due to low water flow. But unofficial statistics show that the figure of water supplies was much lower than the WDB.
Foyzur Rahman, Sub Divisional Engineer of WDB in Dalia, told The New Nation recently that last year they were very much helpless as water flow in Teesta was very poor. Hundreds of thousands of farmers become ferocious being deprived of water to irrigate their lands.
Hundreds of thousands of farmers last year staged demonstration protesting the fewer water supplies from neighboring India.
When visiting the area recently, farmers in Dalia village told this correspondent that cultivation of lands of the first phase become very tough as India does not release water in time. It is not possible to cultivate lands of the second phase unless the upper riparian country willingly releases adequate water timely.
Talking to The New Nation water expert Dr Inun Nishat said the Teest river can contain 3.5 thousand cusec to 5 thousand cusec water. The main canal of Teesta Barrage has the capacity to hold 8 thousand cusec of water.
"If even India does not divert water from Teesta river, the main canal of the barrage will remain dry and adequate water won't be available for irrigation," he said.
http://nation.ittefaq.com/issues/2010/04/29/news0823.htm
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