Bangladesh urged india to increase dey season flow
The Zoland Times
Bangladesh has proposed India to increase
dry season flows of the Ganges through the Farakkah barrage by constucting reservoirs in Nepal, reports BSS.
The proposal was made by Water Rsources
Minister Hafizuddin Ahmed in the Jatiya Sangsad on Thursday in view of the inadequate supply of Bangladesh's due share of the Ganges water during the dry season.
"Talks in this regard with India is going," he also said while replying to a question from BNP memeber Rasheda Begum Hira. The government is also continuing its efforts to convince Nepal for a tripartite
cooperation to construct reservoirs in the Himalayan Kingdom to augment the Ganges flows during the dry season, he also said.
To maintain navigability of the rivers in Bangladesh, Hafiz stressed the need for an appropriate solution for a joint river management involving all cross broder and common rivers including the basins of Ganges, Brahmaputra and Meghna for a sustainable solution to the problem.
The cooperation among all the countries of the basins is the prerequisite of such a joint management, he added.
The water resources minister further said that to forge such ties of cooperation among Bangladesh, India, Nepal,China,Bhutan and other countries of the basin, Bangladesh is continuing sincere efforts at national and international levels to that direction. It will contiunue in future also, he told the House.
In reply to another question from BNP member MA
Hashem (Noakhali-20), the Minister said due to unilaperal withdrawal of water at upstream of the international by India through the Farakka on Ganges, Gajaldobha on Teesta and other barrages, the dry season flows to Bangladesh had become very lean seriously affecting the country's irrigation system. It is a major hindrance to Bangladesh's agriculture development, he said.
To overcome such a situation, a survey is being conducted to build Ganges barrage on the Padma river along with bilateral discussions with India, he informed the house.
The minister also told BNP lawmaker MA Hashem that a total of 61,84,752 hactre has been brought under flood control,drainage and irrigation facilities.
To another question from BNP's SA Sultan, he said the government has a plan to construct 188.11 kilometre of new embankment in the country under the Water development Board.