RAJSHAHI, Sept 3, 2020 (BSS)- Around 1,080 kilometres underground irrigation pipelines were constructed aimed at reducing the loss of irrigation water by around 40 percent in the Barind area.
Barind Multipurpose Development Authority (BMDA) under its ‘Enhancement of Irrigation Efficiency through Construction of Sub-surface Irrigation Channel’ project constructed the pipelines.
Taka 136.16 crore project has been implemented in 25 upazilas of Rajshahi, Naogaon and Chapainawabganj districts till June last.
“We have installed 1096.2 kilometres upvc pipelines and 216 kilometres flexible pipes through saving agricultural lands under the four-year project,” said Engineer Shahidur Rahman, Director of the project, while talking to BSS here today.
More than 3,000 farmers were imparted intensive training on various need-based issues like irrigation water management, crop diversification, fertilizer usages and mechanized cultivation.
They were also given ideas on proper handling and maintenance of the constructed infrastructures so that they can derive total benefits of the project.
Engineer Rahman said the installed pipelines have expanded irrigation area to around 32,400 hectares of land contributing a lot towards cropping yield around 1.62 lakh tonnes on an average per year. The system has also contributed to the diversification process in the project covering areas.
In the long run, the project will contribute a lot towards reducing the loss of irrigation water besides saving agricultural land and expanding irrigation areas through crop diversification.
Highlighting the salient feature of the project, Engineer Rahman said efficiency in irrigation has become a necessity for reducing the misuse of water alongside decreasing agriculture production cost.
He opined that the conventional irrigation method has the problem of misusing water triggering pressure on both ground and surface water posing a threat to ecology.
So, some major parameters like water distribution system, irrigation scheme management system, water marketing system, sources of water, source of energy, Alternate Wetting Drying (AWD) and types of pumps should be brought under consideration.
He mentioned that the agriculture sector has started facing the problem of irrigation water scarcity which is being adjudged as an obstacle to crop production.
The sector has also to face huge production costs due to various reasons pushing farmers into a difficult situation. So, time has come for more promotion of underground canal for improving irrigation efficiency, he added.
Tanore Upazila Chairman Lutfor Haider Rashid told BSS that underground pipeline installation is very important for making the irrigation more cost-effective and wellbeing of the farmers in general in the barind area.
He advocated for more implementation of such types of schemes for substantial and sustainable reduction of loss of irrigation water and saving of farming land.