Saturday | 11 January 2025 | Reg No- 06
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Saturday | 11 January 2025 | Epaper

2,500 illegal irrigation pumps threaten groundwater layer in Barind region

Published : Wednesday, 27 December, 2023 at 12:00 AM  Count : 252
Rafiqul Hasan Firoz
RAJSHAHI, Dec 26: Due to many unapproved irrigation pumps, multi-faceted crises including downing of groundwater layers are feared in the Barind Region of the district.

Along with excessive lifting of water, the groundwater layer is going down in the region. Eight years back Barendra Multi-Development Authority (BMDA) decided to disallow new pumps.  That is why BMDA advised farmers for less water-requiring crops, such as mustard, maize and sesame. But farmers are not following it.

There are about 2,500 unapproved irrigation pumps in Tanore Upazila.  

Professor Chowdhury Sarwar Jahan of the Department of Geology and Mining of Rajshahi University said, for these pumps, multi-faceted crises will be created; biodiversity will come under threat; and in overall terms, the agriculture production will be hampered.

A recent visit to Dubil fields in Tanore Upazila found small poultry farms along road. But most of these are empty. But irrigation pumps have been set up along these poultry farms.

A signboard of Mohammad Ali Poultry Farm belonged by Shafiqul Islam was seen hanged along the road. But it has only 4-5 local chickens. Few irrigation pipes and a tube-well were seen.

When contacted, Shafiqul Islam said, he is carrying out the irrigation in his 10-12 bighas of cropland through the poultry farm connection. Is Many others are also making their croplands irrigated by this system, he added.

He further said, "If irrigation is not possible this way, our croplands will remain fallow. We can cultivate paddy. For this,  we have to give commercial bills to Palli Bidyut."

According to BMDA sources, there are over 17,000 deep tube-wells in the Barind Region including about 2,800 in Rajshahi District only. There are also individual tube-wells.

In 2015, BMDA decided not to install deep tube-wells newly. If anybody wants, it will need approval from the upazila irrigation committee headed by the upazila nirbahi officer (UNO). BMDAs local assistant engineer is its member secretary.

Irrigation pumps are set up by many persons without approval by using political influence. It was alleged. Unapproved pumps are set up in 150-200 foot beneath.

A farmer of Chourkoir Village and an Awami League (AL) activist Shamsuddin has installed an unapproved pump. To run the pump, he is showing poultry farm connection or residential line. He has admitted he has applied his political influence in setting the irrigation pump.

He referred names of two leaders of AL and Juba League and said, they have lobbied for it. "I can say whether it is poultry connection or residential one," he added.

According to agriculture office sources and locals, paddy is mostly cultivated in Tanore Upazila of Rajshahi. There are 22,332 hectares of land under irrigation in the upazila while irrigation pumps are 2,195 including 529 BMDAs deep tube-wells and 16 individual ones.

The remaining ones are shallow tube-wells. Beyond these, there are about 2,500 more unapproved tube-wells. Tanore Upazila Agriculture Officer Saifullah Ahmed said, they have advised less-water consuming crops including mustard, sesame, and maize.
BMDAs Executive Engineer (Acting) Abdur Rashid confirmed this information.

By taking lines in the name of residential connection and small industrial units, some are running irrigation pumps, he said.

When asked, Deputy General Manager of Palli Bidyut-Tanore Zone Jahurul Islam said, as there is standing paddy crop in fields, these lines could not be cut on humanitarian ground.

If anybody runs irrigation pumps by residential and poultry farm lines, these lines will be cut, the official maintained.



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