The adverse effects of Farakka barrage, climatic change and decrease in mean annual rainfall have put four rivers in Chapainawabganj in a vulnerable condition.
Locals have been suffering immensely because of an acute crisis of irrigation and drinking water facilities. Residents of at least five upazilas of the district do not get water from the tube wells during the summer season. Moreover, farmers are not getting water for irrigation from the rivers in summer as large char areas developed in the rivers because of Indian authorities’ water-sharing policy centring the Farakka barrage in the last three decades.
The four rivers in the district – Padma, Mahananda, Pagla and Punorbhoba – have already lost navigability because of the Farakka barrage. Lack of water in the Mahananda has put at least 15 irrigation projects in around 10,000 hectare cultivable lands under threat.
As a result of the adverse effects, the rubber-dam project in the river, assured by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, has also become uncertain. Assistant Engineer of the Water Development Board Abdul Hamid said recruitment of advisors for the rubber-dam project was under process.
Meanwhile, the underground water level in the district has also gone down. Executive Engineer Bahar Uddin Mridha said Chapainawabganj had been facing around 80-85 feet degradation of underground water level every year, adding that the rate was alarming in the Barind Tract, especially at Gomostapur, Nachol and Chapainawabganj sadar upazilas.
Different authorities concerned have taken many initiatives to minimise the suffering of the people of the district.
Barind Multipurpose Development Authority’s Executive Engineer Akbar Ali said farmers were being encouraged to cultivate crops like wheat, mustard and pulse instead of Irri-Boro to reduce pressure on underground water level. Moreover, projects – digging canals and ponds – were also being undertaken, he added.
On the other hand, river water species of different local fish are on the verge of eviction because of unnatural degradation of water level in the rivers. Biological equilibrium is also hampered in the district.
Sufferers hope that the government will take initiatives to increase the water level of rivers, fish production and irrigation facilities as well. The locals observed that the government should take every possible step to properly realise the river water distribution agreement with neighbouring India.
