Move to start works of the giant Ganges Barrage in 2012
An official study has found Bangladesh incurred an economic loss of around Tk 146 billion in 20 years during 1975-1995, because of unilateral withdrawal of water by India
Construction of the giant Ganges Barrage, a decades old mega project for sustainable solution to country's socio-economic and environmental problems is expected to begin in 2012.(BSS)"We are taking preparation to launch the construction of the Taka 5,900 crore barrage by 2012 to recover the navigability of some tributaries of the major Ganges-Brahmaputra-Meghna river system.
The project will help Bangladesh to take counter measures to address the environmental and social-economic hazards caused by Farakka Barrage, officials said. The project was first conceived in 1964 and several feasibility studies had been done. But successive governments could not finalize a site for the barrage.
After coming to power, the present government asked the Bangladesh Water Development Board (BWDB) to take over the feasibility study again at Taka 34.35 crore and gave three years timeframe to start the main construction work. In line with the present government's earnest desire, the BWDB in May, 2009 appointed Development Design Consultants Limited (DDC), an international consortium for study the feasibility and detailed engineering aspects of the project.
Director of the Ganges Barrage Project Ahsanul Alam told BSS that the consulting firm with the overall supervision of the BWDB has primarily selected two sites for construction of the barrage, one at Pangsha of Rajbari district and other at Kumarkhali in Kushtia. He said about 50 percent work of the feasibility study has been completed in the first phase. In the second phase, he said technical plan and design of the scheme will be prepared. By this time the selection of final site will be completed, he added.
The Ganges Barrage has been designed to save the southwest and northern parts of the country from dryness and salinity of the rivers in the region. It will bring one-third areas of the country under irrigation and save the world heritage Sundarbans and Bhabadah from salinity, help preserve their bio-diversity and improve overall environment. The whole riverine system in the southwestern and northern parts of the country would get back their navigability once the barrage is constructed, officials said.
The western part of the country which constitutes 37 percent of the total area of the county and live country's one-third population depends on water of the river Ganges (Padma).But due to diversion of water in the upstream at Farraka point, the dry season flow of the Ganges decreased significantly causing siltation in the mainstream and its tributaries.
As a result, water uses in agriculture, fish cultivation, forestry, navigation, industry and domestic purposes in the southwestern part of the country have been hindered drastically. An official study has found Bangladesh incurred an economic loss of around Tk 146 billion in 20 years during 1975-1995, because of unilateral withdrawal of water by India at Farakka point from the international river-the Ganges.
Officials said the Ganges Barrage project has undertaken aiming to ensure availability of fresh water flows, help farmers irrigate farms in Rajshahi and Khulna region and save the Sunderbans, world largest mangrove forest, from salinity. The project will also help addressing social, economic, environmental and hydro-morphological issues, recovering the navigability of some tributaries and improve flood management in the country, they said.
The project will help Bangladesh to take counter measures to address the environmental and social-economic hazards caused by Farakka Barrage, officials said. The project was first conceived in 1964 and several feasibility studies had been done. But successive governments could not finalize a site for the barrage.
After coming to power, the present government asked the Bangladesh Water Development Board (BWDB) to take over the feasibility study again at Taka 34.35 crore and gave three years timeframe to start the main construction work. In line with the present government's earnest desire, the BWDB in May, 2009 appointed Development Design Consultants Limited (DDC), an international consortium for study the feasibility and detailed engineering aspects of the project.
Director of the Ganges Barrage Project Ahsanul Alam told BSS that the consulting firm with the overall supervision of the BWDB has primarily selected two sites for construction of the barrage, one at Pangsha of Rajbari district and other at Kumarkhali in Kushtia. He said about 50 percent work of the feasibility study has been completed in the first phase. In the second phase, he said technical plan and design of the scheme will be prepared. By this time the selection of final site will be completed, he added.
The Ganges Barrage has been designed to save the southwest and northern parts of the country from dryness and salinity of the rivers in the region. It will bring one-third areas of the country under irrigation and save the world heritage Sundarbans and Bhabadah from salinity, help preserve their bio-diversity and improve overall environment. The whole riverine system in the southwestern and northern parts of the country would get back their navigability once the barrage is constructed, officials said.
The western part of the country which constitutes 37 percent of the total area of the county and live country's one-third population depends on water of the river Ganges (Padma).But due to diversion of water in the upstream at Farraka point, the dry season flow of the Ganges decreased significantly causing siltation in the mainstream and its tributaries.
As a result, water uses in agriculture, fish cultivation, forestry, navigation, industry and domestic purposes in the southwestern part of the country have been hindered drastically. An official study has found Bangladesh incurred an economic loss of around Tk 146 billion in 20 years during 1975-1995, because of unilateral withdrawal of water by India at Farakka point from the international river-the Ganges.
Officials said the Ganges Barrage project has undertaken aiming to ensure availability of fresh water flows, help farmers irrigate farms in Rajshahi and Khulna region and save the Sunderbans, world largest mangrove forest, from salinity. The project will also help addressing social, economic, environmental and hydro-morphological issues, recovering the navigability of some tributaries and improve flood management in the country, they said.
http://nation.ittefaq.com/issues/2010/07/11/news0067.htm
__._,_.___
