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India concerned over Padma (Ganges) barrage project

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New Delhi has expressed concern over a mega project undertaken by the Bangladesh government for construction of a barrage in the Padma (Ganges) river, water resources minister Anisul Islam Mahmud said on Wednesday.

He referred to India’s argument that if the Ganges barrage mega project is commissioned, it might cause backflow of water and siltation.

The minister was speaking at a workshop on multi-stakeholder engagement on water resources management, organised by Water Resources Planning Organisation and 2030 Water Resources Group of the International Finance Corporation (IFC) at a city hotel.

Dwelling on India’s concern about the proposed Ganges barrage project, Mahmud said, ‘Now we are trying to address the problems and we can easily resolve it.’

He said Bangladesh and India signed the Ganges Water-Sharing Treaty for 30 years and 18 years had already passed.

Bangladesh needs to complete the barrage project as soon as possible to have sufficient positive impact on both the countries so that at the time of next round of negotiation for the Ganges water treaty, it would be easier for Dhaka to convince New Delhi, the minister said.

The proposed Ganges barrage project involves an investment of $4 billion. Bangladesh has sought Japanese assistance to implement it.

Expressing his concern about decline in the flow of Teesta waters, Anisul Islam Mahmud said, ‘ We’ve seen a drastic fall in water flow in the Teesta river. Actually, what I want to say is the Teesta river, in this dry season, saw the lowest 300 cusecs of water flow while it was 1,500-1,800 cusecs (cubic feet per second) during the same period in the previous year. This is an indication of the fate of other common rivers.’

He hoped that India would keep its promise and sign the Teesta water sharing deal with Bangladesh soon.

Bangladesh and India were supposed to sign Teesta water sharing agreement in 2011 but due to strong resistance from West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee, it could not happen then

India concerned over Ganges barrage project


Padma Barrage Project: It should also be a highest priority

Dwindling river flow is increasing salinity in south-west Bangladesh affecting agriculture, fishing and the Sundarbans. The Bangladesh government has said it will give top priority to the US$4 billion Padma Barrage Project (PBP), to expand irrigation and reduce salinity levels in the country’s south-west coastal region.
The project, welcomed by experts as an initiative that will transform the region but crippled by lack of funds, will come up at Pangsha in Rajbari district, 98 kilometres downstream from the Farakka barrage built on the Ganga or Ganges river which flows into Bangladesh from the Indian state of West Bengal and takes the name of Padma here. “The government has given top priority to implementing the proposed Padma Barrage Project. If the proposed barrage project is implemented, salinity and arsenic problems and water scarcity will be addressed in the south-western region of Bangladesh,” said Water Resources Minister Anisul Islam Mahmud.
“Agricultural production will increase in the region…Its people will benefit both economically and environmentally,” the minister added.
According to the feasibility study, an estimated Tk 31,414 crore (about US$4 billion) is needed to implement the project over seven years. However, the government is yet to mobilise the funds.
Bangladesh’s south-west region, home to one-third of the country’s 158 million population, is dependent on the Ganga.
The river, known as the Padma in Bangladesh, is the only source of surface water in the region. Experts agree that a barrage is urgently needed to manage dwindling water resources and boost economic growth of the area.
In 1975, India constructed the Farakka barrage across the river that flows through both countries to divert 40,000 cusecs of water into the Bhagirathi-Hooghly river in West Bengal to flush out sediment deposits from Kolkata harbour.
This has dramatically reduced the flow of the Ganga, affecting agriculture, fishery, forestry, navigation, domestic water supply and industrial development in Bangladesh.
The world’s largest mangrove forest, Sundarbans, is now under threat from rising salinity caused by lack of water flow during the dry season. A recent study by the Bangladesh Centre for Advanced Studies (BCAS) showed salinity levels in rivers and coastal regions had doubled in the first decade of this century. According to official sources, the proposed barrage will create a reservoir, covering 62,500 acres, with a capacity of about 2,900 million cubic litres of water. The reserved water will be diverted to 26 districts through regional rivers in the south-west area.
Once the barrage is built, the reservoir water will be distributed through a network of channels in the dry season to meet the water demands for irrigation, fisheries, navigation and salinity control, said Rowshan Ali Khan, acting project director. The release of water from the reservoir through the river system of the Padma dependent area will help manage siltation problems in river channels and preserve biodiversity and forest resources in the Sundarbans, he added.
If the PBP is implemented it will give the nation a lot of benefits. During the dry season, water from its huge reservoir, measuring about 165 kilometres from Pangsha of Rajbari district via Pabna to Pankha of Chapainawabganj district will help produce 25 tonnes of additional food-grains and 2.4 lakh tonnes of fish. This will rejuvenate rivers such as the Gorai, Modhumati, Arial Khan, etc.
According to an estimate, about 19 lakh hectares of arable land in 21 districts including greater Kushtia, Faridpur, Jessore, Khulna, Barisal, Pabna and Rajshahi will get agricultural benefits on completion of the project. The water flow will also offset the salinity intrusion in the agricultural lands along the coastal region. Moreover, there will be six hydropower plants in the project areas, which will be able to generate 130 megawatts of electricity to be added to the national grid.
A question raised by a small minority of experts is : how to ensure adequate water flow along the trans-boundary river to keep the project operational. They say if India does not release adequate water of the river upstream, the project will fall flat like the Teesta barrage – which did not benefit Bangladesh because India unilaterally withdraws water from that river.
However, such a view technically appears to be unsound. The whole idea of the Padma Barrage is based on diverting the excess water to a reservoir when there is found an excess of water from rainfall along the entire length of the trans boundary river. In the rainy season, there is never any shortage of water or reduction in its flow in its Indian part, the Ganges. Thus, there can be no water scarcity also in the Padma either in the rainy season. Rather the diversion of the flow of the Padma to a reservoir in this season will only reduce the occurrence of flooding and its undesirable consequences.
From this, two benefits can be realised. A huge reservoir will be there to feed the Padma with adequate flow in the dry season when its natural flow from upstream in India declines naturally and this situation is further aggravated by water withdrawl through the Farraka barrage in India. On the other hand, the diversion of Padma’s flow into a reservoir in the wet season will work against the river spilling its banks or creating devastating floods.
Most experts believe the PBP will boost socioeconomic development of Bangladesh.
According to water expert Ainun Nishat, the project should be implemented as soon as possible to increase river flow in the dry season and protect the southwest region, including the Sundarbans, from salinity intrusion.
According to project officials, the project will bring economic benefits of Tk 7,340 crore (US$900 million) every year, which means the cost will be returned within five years.
Sarfaraz Wahed, director of water resources at the Dhaka-based Center for Environmental and Geographic Information Services (CEGIS), said the project will improve navigation upstream of the barrage up to Pankha and along the Gorai river to Mongla seaport.
In July 2013, the Bangladesh Water Development Board (BWDB) signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Chinese company, Changjiang Survey, Planning, Design and Research (CSPDR), to plan and build the project. Two other Chinese companies — HydroChina and Sinohydro — have also shown interest in financing the project and submitted proposals to the Finance Ministry. Also during his recent visit to Bangladesh, the Japanese foreign minister has pledged to fund the project enthusiastically provided the Bangladesh authorities take it up with real interest and pushes for its earliest implementation. Therefore, funding may not pose as a formidable problem once our policymakers start paying due attention to the project.
Implementation of the Padma Bridge Project is a political commitment of the incumbent government. But the Padma Barrage Project is no less important. The implementation of this vital project brooks no delay. The government must pay due importance to it and do the needful.

Padma Barrage Project: It should also be a highest priority


Related:
Mamata writes to PM Modi for replacement of Farakka barrage gatesIndia News Analysis Opinions on Niti Central
 
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Build it and adress our concern ..I dont see any serious issue in it ..Anyway we can address the issue after 12 years when treaty alapses and concerned parties again come to the table ..It will be foolish to make it anti farakkah on bangladesh part
 
Most experts believe the PBP will boost socioeconomic development of Bangladesh.
According to water expert Ainun Nishat, the project should be implemented as soon as possible to increase river flow in the dry season and protect the southwest region, including the Sundarbans, from salinity intrusion.
According to project officials, the project will bring economic benefits of Tk 7,340 crore (US$900 million) every year, which means the cost will be returned within five years.

and yet we are sitting idle we need quick action
 
i did not understand why the opposition.. does anybody know the technical issue?
 
Typical Bangladeshi misinformation and propaganda.The water diverted from the Farakka barrage is less than 10% of Ganga river water available at Farakka. Anybody having any doubt about it may check the river flow in Google maps, it's all too clear there. Whinning must be fun.
 
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One more brain washed. Had we not had good intention, why would we have entered into water sharing treaty without anything offered in return. If we break that, you guys shall starved to the death.

Why not? This project is known as anti farakka. To get rid of miserable life created by India (west bengal). How can they wish good to BD :lol: Supra power concerned. China and Japan came forward :-)
 
i did not understand why the opposition.. does anybody know the technical issue?

I doubt there is any significant issue or opposition from our side, conspiracy theories sell well in Bangladesh. However, from the article:

it might cause backflow of water and siltation.

And the concern has some basis, as per the below comment.

Dwelling on India’s concern about the proposed Ganges barrage project, Mahmud said, ‘Now we are trying to address the problems and we can easily resolve it.’
 
This is an old project which India did not allow to start using her local agents.
 
Typical Bangladeshi misinformation and propaganda.The water diverted from the Farakka barrage is less than 10% of Ganga river water available at Farakka. Anybody having any doubt about it may check the river flow in Google maps, it's all too clear there. Whinning must be fun.

The treaty is such India wont receive less than 50%, and you are talking about 10% water diversion :lol: That narrow canal can suck much than the low depth river. And BD received less water several times in these years which is clear violation of the treaty.

As per the treaty:
  • If the flow is greater than 75,000 cusec (cubic feet per second) at Farakka Barrage, then India will receive 40,000 cusec, and the remaining will be allocated for Bangladesh.
  • If the flow ranges between 70,000 and 75,000 cusec, the Bangladesh will receive 35,000 cusec and the remaining will be allocated for India
  • If the flow is less than 70,000 cusec, the share between Bangladesh and India will be at the rate of 50:50. However, India and Bangladesh each shall receive a guaranteed 35,000 cusecs of water in alternative three 10-day periods during the period March 1 to May 10.
Ganges water treaty: Dead or just dying? | Opinion
 
I think that this BS treaty is a part of idiotic Gujaral doctrine. Thanks god that idiot did not remain in power for a long.
 
The treaty is such India wont receive less than 50%, and you are talking about 10% water diversion :lol: That narrow canal can suck much than the low depth river. And BD received less water several times in these years which is clear violation of the treaty.

As per the treaty:
  • If the flow is greater than 75,000 cusec (cubic feet per second) at Farakka Barrage, then India will receive 40,000 cusec, and the remaining will be allocated for Bangladesh.
  • If the flow ranges between 70,000 and 75,000 cusec, the Bangladesh will receive 35,000 cusec and the remaining will be allocated for India
  • If the flow is less than 70,000 cusec, the share between Bangladesh and India will be at the rate of 50:50. However, India and Bangladesh each shall receive a guaranteed 35,000 cusecs of water in alternative three 10-day periods during the period March 1 to May 10.
Ganges water treaty: Dead or just dying? | Opinion

Bangladesh is turning into a misinformation and false propaganda factory, I am not sure about the purpose, but the practice runs deep. I am not blaming you, just telling you that you are also a victim of such false propaganda.

Did I say that The water diverted from the Farakka barrage is less than 10% of Ganga river water available at Farakka? The exact figure would be somewhere around 6.80%. Ganga is not a silly canal, it is one of the mightiest rivers of the world.

Do cross-check for your satisfaction.
 
Bangladesh is turning into a misinformation and false propaganda factory, I am not sure about the purpose, but the practice runs deep. I am not blaming you, just telling you that you are also a victim of such false propaganda.

Did I say that The water diverted from the Farakka barrage is less than 10% of Ganga river water available at Farakka? The exact figure would be somewhere around 6.80%. Ganga is not a silly canal, it is one of the mightiest rivers of the world.

Do cross-check for your satisfaction.

No I said about hoogly canal and ganga as a low depth river. Where do I cross check?
 
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