BADC develops irrigation management system

City Desk :

Bangladesh Agricultural Development Corporation (BADC) has been working to ensure the availability of essential agricultural inputs, including quality seeds, balanced fertilizers, and efficient irrigation facilities through optimal use of surface and groundwater.

To promote the agriculture sector, BADC has played a pivotal role in developing an efficient irrigation management system.

The introduction of modern irrigation began in the 1960s with power-driven pumps for surface water use. In 1967-68, deep tubewells were installed, followed by shallow tubewells in the early 1970s, initiating systematic use of both surface and groundwater for irrigation, says a press release.

During the 2024-25 irrigation season, BADC provided irrigation facilities to approximately 7.26 lakh hectares of land. Currently, small-scale irrigation covers about 95 percent of irrigated land, while large-scale irrigation accounts for 5 percent. Of the total irrigated area, 27.99 percent relies on surface water and 72.01 percent on groundwater.

BADC’s irrigation activities include canal re-excavation, construction of surface and underground irrigation channels, crop protection embankments, check dams, installation and rehabilitation of deep and shallow tubewells, solar-powered irrigation pumps, and dug wells. Over the past decade, the organization has re-excavated more than 13,665 kilometers of canals and developed extensive irrigation infrastructure nationwide.

Aligned with the Sustainable Development Goals and Delta Plan 2100, BADC aims to increase irrigation efficiency to 40 percent by 2030, expand surface water use, and reduce dependence on groundwater. As cultivable land declines and food demand rises, BADC’s efficient irrigation management remains crucial to ensuring sustainable and profitable agriculture in Bangladesh.