Water flow decreases at Hardinge Bridge point of Padma

Ishwardi (Pabna) Correspondent :

At the beginning of January this year, 15,000 cusecs of water flow has decreased at Hardinge Bridge Point in a span of 1 year. Due to the decrease in water flow, adverse effects are appearing in the areas dependent on the Ganga water in the southwestern part of Bangladesh. Irony has arisen in the country’s largest Ganga-Kapotaksha (GK) irrigation project located at Bheramara in Kushtia. Ilyas Hossain, Deputy Assistant Engineer, Regional Hydrology Department, Pabna Water Development Board (PUBO) confirmed this.
Experts say that the historic water agreement has clear principles for the distribution of Ganga water. There is a guarantee of how much water India-Bangladesh will share during dry and wet seasons. But whatever the reason for this guarantee, the Padma, a tributary of the Ganges, has to get very fast to get water.
That is why the condition of Padma in Pakshi is very pathetic. Most of the 15 pillars of Hardinge Bridge are standing on dry grass. People have started farming around the pillars which are in the water. There are no fish in the river. Fishermen are not able to catch fish for their own food by pulling nets with boats.
According to the 1996 water sharing agreement between Bangladesh and India on the Ganga-Padma River, water monitoring by the Indian delegation has started at Padma Harding Bridge Point in Ishwardistha, Pabna. On January 1 and January 2, the delegation observed and measured the water flow at 4,000 feet upstream of Hardinge Bridge. On January 1, water was measured at 75,409 cusecs and on January 2, it was 72,969 cusecs. But in 2021, 2022 and 2023, the amount of water flow in Padma was much higher at that time. Deputy Assistant Engineer Ilyas Hossain of Regional Hydrology Department of Pabna Water Development Board confirmed this information.
According to the JRC website, on January 2, 2021, the water measured at Hardinge Bridge Point was 78,244 cusecs, on January 1, 2022, the water was measured at 1,18,020 cusecs, in 2023, the water level was 90,730 cusecs and on January 1, 2024, 75 thousand 409 cusecs are measured.
Experts from India and Bangladesh measure water levels at various points in the Ganga and Padma every year as per the 1996 Ganga Water Sharing Agreement. Joint monitoring of water flow in both countries will continue from January 1 to May 31. According to the Water Sharing Agreement, the dry season is from January 1 to May 31 every year. During this time there is water shortage in both the countries. Therefore, the water flow in Farakka is divided between Bangladesh and India on the basis of every 10 days calculation.
It is reported that India’s water flow monitoring team includes Executive Engineer Ankit Dudeja and Assistant Director Mukesh Kumar Sharma of the Central Water Commission of India. Pabna Water Development Board Regional Hydrology Department Executive Engineer Rezaul Karim, Assistant Engineer Ilyas Hossain and Pabna Water Development Board officials are assisting the Indian delegation.
Deputy Assistant Engineer Elias Hossain said that two delegations of the Indian water monitoring team monitored the water at Hardinge Bridge Point on January 1 and January 2. The joint water monitoring program will continue till May 31. He also said that a four-member Bangladesh delegation led by Bangladesh Joint River Commission Executive Engineer Riyadur Rahman has started measuring the water flow of the Ganges at Farakka Point in India.