BADC plays key role in smart irrigation management
The Bangladesh Agricultural Development Corporation (BADC) is playing an important role in developing modern and smart irrigation management in the country through canal re-excavation, solar-powered irrigation, underground irrigation infrastructure and various innovative initiatives.
The government has adopted a five-year master plan to re-excavate 20,000 kilometres of canals and water channels across the country. Of the total target, BADC has been assigned to re-excavate 6,000 kilometres. Necessary initiatives and work plans are already underway to implement the programme, said in a relase.
BADC has a long-standing legacy in irrigation management. In the 1960s, modern and mechanised farming was introduced through the use of surface water with the help of only 1,555 powered pumps. Since then, irrigation management has undergone significant changes to meet the growing demand for food amid a gradual decline in cultivable land.
According to BADC sources, the corporation implemented a number of major programmes during the 2025-26 fiscal year. These included re-excavation of 820 kilometres of canals and water channels, construction of 1,450 kilometres of underground irrigation channels and 662 irrigation structures.
The organisation also constructed 49 kilometres of embankments and crop-protection embankments, installed 161 solar-powered irrigation pumps, collected and distributed 42,764 saplings, built 50 poly-sheds for safe flower and vegetable production, installed 478 rainwater harvesting systems and rehabilitated 95 deep tube wells.
BADC has also introduced a centre-pivot irrigation system at its Muladuli Agricultural Farm in Pabna for the first time in the country, according to the sources.
The corporation is also undertaking various innovative initiatives to make irrigation management more sustainable in line with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the Bangladesh Delta Plan.
BADC has set a target of increasing irrigation efficiency to 38-40 per cent by 2030, raising the use of surface water for irrigation to 30 percent and reducing dependence on groundwater to 70 percent.
As agriculture remains closely linked to the country’s food security and overall livelihood, BADC’s role in ensuring efficient and sustainable irrigation has become increasingly important amid growing pressure on agricultural land and water resources.
BADC Chairman Md Azizul Islam has emphasised the need for all concerned to remain proactive in implementing the corporation’s programmes with transparency and accountability, BADC sources said.
The initiatives are expected to contribute to improving irrigation efficiency, reducing pressure on groundwater and supporting sustainable agricultural production across the country.
