Despite government restrictions on groundwater extraction, irrigation in the Barind region continues to worsen the water crisis, raising fears of long-term environmental damage and agricultural collapse.
In August last year, the government declared large parts of Rajshahi, Chapainawabganj and Naogaon as water-stressed zones. A total of 1,469 mouzas across 47 unions were identified as “extremely high water-stressed,” while hundreds more were classified as highly or moderately stressed. In January this year, the authorities concerned issued a gazette, imposing strict restrictions on groundwater use for the next 10 years.
The regulations prohibit the installation of new tube wells for purposes other than drinking water and call for groundwater-based irrigation to be phased out within two years. Industries dependent on underground water are also restricted, while canals, ponds and wetlands must remain protected and accessible for public use. However, enforcement on the ground remains weak.
Across the region, farmers continue extracting groundwater through privately installed pumps, many operating illegally through residential electricity connections. In some villages, irrigation pipelines have been hidden through walls and underground channels to avoid detection.
In Narayanpur mouza of Tanore upazila, where groundwater levels have fallen sharply, farmers admit they are violating restrictions simply to survive. “Our land is lying barren. How will we live if we stop irrigating?” one farmer said.
Although authorities originally approved a maximum of 11,400 deep tube wells in the region, officials now estimate that nearly 62,000 shallow tube wells and around 4,000 deep tube wells are operating privately. Their combined extraction capacity is equivalent to almost 28,000 deep tube wells.
According to officials from the Barind Multipurpose Development Authority (BMDA), groundwater depletion has become so severe in some areas that underground aquifer layers have effectively died. Sand layers that once stored water have turned into dense clay, reducing the land’s ability to absorb and retain rainwater.
Water Development Board data show groundwater levels in parts of Nachole upazila dropped from 29.09 meters to 31.04 meters between January 2023 and January 2025, with little recovery afterward.
In Sundarpur mouza of Godagari upazila, deep tube wells are now producing only a fraction of their normal output. “Sometimes water rises, sometimes it stops completely. There is no certainty anymore,” said tube-well operator Sattar Ali, warning that many pumps could become useless within a few years.
Farmers are also paying heavily for irrigation. Local farmer Sahanara Begum said watering a single bigha of boro rice field now costs up to Tk 5,200, while the soil has already started cracking due to water shortages.
BMDA Additional Chief Engineer Abul Kashem said privately owned pumps account for nearly 73% of groundwater extraction, making regulation extremely difficult.
To ease pressure on underground reserves, BMDA has launched projects to increase the use of surface water for irrigation. Officials say surface water currently meets 22% of irrigation demand and aim to raise that figure to 50% by 2050.
Officials also stressed the need to restore ponds, canals and public reservoirs to improve natural water conservation and reduce dependence on underground sources.
