Muhid Hasan :
The water supply from the Ganges-Kobadak (GK) Irrigation Project has been suspended due to insufficient water at the intake channel on the Padma River in Bheramara, Kushtia.
Consequently, Irri-Boro cultivation in four southwestern districts, including Kushtia, Chuadanga, Jhenaidah, and Magura, has been significantly hindered.
Thousands of farmers reliant on this major surface irrigation system are now forced to resort to underground water sources, significantly increasing their production costs.
Mizanur Rahman, the Executive Engineer of the Bheramara Pump House, mentioned ongoing renovation work on two irrigation pumps, resulting in a partial suspension of water supply.
Farmers have expressed that the irrigation cost for Boro cultivation skyrockets when using diesel-powered pumps instead of accessing water from the G-K project.
Sajibul Islam, a farmer from Shailkupa Upazilla in Jhenaidah, voiced concerns over the detrimental impact on their crop production and financial losses in the absence of resumed water supply.
Rashidur Rahman, the Executive Engineer of the Water Development Board’s Kushtia Water Division, highlighted that although the project was intended to irrigate 197,000 hectares of land across four districts, only 95,600 hectares are currently covered. During the Boro season, only around 15,000 hectares can be irrigated due to various challenges, including low water availability, limited pump capacity, and an inefficient distribution system.
The GK project relies entirely on water from the Padma River, transported through a two-kilometer intake channel to the project’s pump house.
The project comprises three main canals, 49 branch canals, and 444 sub-branch canals, with extensive lengths totaling to 193 km for the main canal, 467 km for branch canals, and 1,000 km for sub-branch canals.
AKM Fazlul Haque, Member (Secretary) of the Agriculture, Water Resources, and Rural Institutions Division at the Planning Commission, emphasized the vital importance of the GK Irrigation Project for the country’s agricultural sector.
However, he acknowledged that the project’s effectiveness has diminished due to sediment-filled distribution canals and deteriorating main and supplementary pumps.
To revitalize the project, Haque underscored the necessity of restoring canals and installing new pumps. He assured that the authority would take necessary measures to ensure the full-fledged resumption of water supply for the project.