RAJSHAHI, Jan 27, 2020 (BSS)- Speakers at a discussion here today observed that adoption of time-befitting projects along with successful implementation of those has become crucial to mitigate the existing water scarcity in the region including its vast Barind tract.
Emphasis should be given on enriching the surface water resources through re-excavating the derelict ponds, canals, wetlands and other water bodies so that the farming fields can be brought under surface water-based irrigation instead of the groundwater.
They came up with the observation while presenting their respective group discussion findings of a daylong workshop styled “Bangladesh Delta Plan 2100: Barind and Drought-prone areas” at Nanking Darbar Hall in Rajshahi city.
Support to Implementation of Bangladesh Delta Plan 2100 hosted the
divisional level workshop in association with the Centre for Environmental
and Geographic Information Services, Institute of Water Modelling (IWM) and
Deltares.
The meeting was told that some of the projects of delta plan will be
included in the coming fifth five-year plan.
More than 70 people including government and non-government officials
concerned, academics, professionals and members of various water resource
management committees took part in the workshop and put forward a set of
recommendations on how to solve the existing water scarcity problems.
Senior Water Resource Specialist of IWM Jakir Hossain, Deltares Project
Manager William Oliemans, Executive Engineer of Bangladesh Water Development
Board Kohinoor Alam, Executive Engineer of Barind Multipurpose Development
Authority Shariful Haque, Chief Executive Officer of DASCOH Foundation
Akramul Haque and its Coordinator of Integrated Water Resource Management
Project Jahangir Alam Khan addressed the meeting as focal persons on the
topic.
Various issues like overall water resource management in barind, chalan
beel and their adjacent areas were discussed elaborately in the workshop to
make the delta plan sustainable and time-befitting.
Participating in the group discussions Prof Khandaker Enamul Haque from
Department of Geology and Mining and Prof Mijanur Rahman from Department of
Geography and Environmental Sciences in Rajshahi University stressed the need
for re-excavation of the derelict water bodies like ponds and wetlands for
the conservation of surface water to maintain ecological balance in the
region.
They said a large number of water bodies have become derelict due to the
adverse impacts of climate change posing a serious threat to ecosystem and
livelihood condition of the people.
Substantial and sustainable conservation of surface water resources along
with its careful use can be a vital means of supplementing the government
efforts of successful implementation of Delta Plan 2100.
Dr Enamul Haque referred to the excessive use of groundwater for
irrigation purposes leaving impacts on agriculture in the drought prone area
and mentioned that protecting groundwater resources has become indispensable
for making its agricultural system .