Govt plans Padma Barrage project costing Tk 334.74 billion

The incumbent government has finally taken the initiative to build the Padma Barrage. Nearly 25 years ago, the then Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) government had initiated efforts to construct the barrage.

The Padma Barrage (First Phase) construction project may be placed for approval at the meeting of the Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (ECNEC) next Wednesday. The estimated cost of the project has been set at Tk 334.74 billion.

According to the project proposal documents, a 2.1-kilometre main dam will be constructed on the Padma River in Pangsha upazila of Rajbari. The initiative has been taken to address water shortages on nearly 37 per cent of the country’s land dependent on the Padma River.

By increasing water flow, five rivers in the country’s south western region will be revitalised, helping reduce salinity coming from the Sundarbans region. This is expected to help maintain biodiversity balance and increase agricultural and fish production.

A total of 16 projects, including the Padma Barrage construction project, are scheduled to be presented at Wednesday’s ECNEC meeting. It is learned that the initiative has been taken as part of fulfilling an electoral pledge.

Asked why such a large project is being undertaken amid economic pressure, State Minister for Planning Zonayed Abdur Rahim Saki (Zonayed Saki) told Prothom Alo, “The government has an electoral commitment regarding this project. Discussions are ongoing now. There will be detailed discussions at the ECNEC meeting. Comments can be made after that.”

According to sources at the Planning Ministry, the project has mainly been prepared to provide some relief from the water crisis during the dry season caused by the Farakka Barrage. After decades of study and examination, the Padma Barrage project is now awaiting approval.

The final proposal for the project has been prepared under the Agriculture, Water Resources and Rural Institutions Division of the Planning Commission.

Md Mahmudul Hossain Khan, member (secretary) of the division, told Prothom Alo, “Due to the Farakka Barrage, vast areas of our country have dried up because of water shortages. Temperatures have also increased. Certainly, the effects can be partially overcome through this barrage. We will be able to store water and supply it throughout the year.”

Asked about the status of the project, Mahmudul Hossain Khan said, “We have completed our work and sent the project to ECNEC. Now the government will make the final decision.”

Under the project, a 2.1-kilometre main dam will be constructed in Pangsha upazila of Rajbari. It will include 78 spillways, 18 undersluices, and two fish passes. The barrage will be capable of storing 2.9 billion cubic metres of water. Three offtake infrastructures will also be built to distribute the stored water. In addition, a 113-megawatt hydropower plant will be established.

The stored water will be used to revive the flow of five rivers: the Hisna-Mathabhanga River, Gorai-Madhumati River, Chandana-Barashia River, Baral River and Ichamati River. Around 800 cusec (cubic metres per second) of water will be supplied to these rivers during the dry season.

Project documents say necessary irrigation water will be supplied to around 2.9 million hectares of cultivable agricultural land in the greater Kushtia, Faridpur, Jashore, Khulna, Barishal, Pabna and Rajshahi regions. It is expected to increase rice production by around 2.4 million tonnes and fish production by 234,000 tonnes.

According to the project documents, if implemented, the project is expected to generate social and economic benefits worth around Tk 80 billion annually.

People involved with the project said the construction of the Farakka Barrage in India’s West Bengal during the 1970s drastically reduced the flow of the Padma River in Bangladesh. As a result, six rivers connected to the Padma dried up. This severely affected agriculture, fisheries, navigation and biodiversity in the country’s southwestern region.

Meanwhile, the Padma River is the only source of fresh water in the greater Rajshahi, Pabna, Kushtia, Jashore, Khulna, Faridpur and Barishal districts. Therefore, development in these areas depends on proper water management. The barrage is planned to retain monsoon water and ensure controlled water supply during the dry season.

The project, proposed by the Ministry of Water Resources, will cost over Tk 334.74 in its first phase. Work is scheduled to continue from 2026 to 2033.

Environmental and water resources expert Ainun Nishat, who was once involved with the project, told Prothom Alo, “This is not a new project. Discussions started in 1964. We selected the site in 1997. The Indian government had promised assistance in constructing the barrage. However, it was later stalled due to various political reasons.”

Although he said he is not aware of the project’s current status, he noted that there is no question about its benefits. However, the expert believes financing remains a major challenge.

The Institute of Water and Flood Management at Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (BUET) regularly conducts research on the country’s water management and flood conditions.

Professor Mashfiqus Salehin of the Institute told Prothom Alo, “Water shortages, salinity in the Sundarbans region and waterlogging due to siltation will worsen in the future. Therefore, freshwater supply must be increased. There is no alternative to this barrage.”

A similar project was discussed during the BNP government in 2002, while initial proposals for such an initiative date back to 1961 during the Pakistan era.

From 2009 to 2013, feasibility studies were conducted by experts from Bangladesh, Australia and Pakistan. Later, until 2016, the Water Development Board worked on designing the project.