News has appeared in newspapers that the government is moving forward with the Ganges/Padma Barrage project inside Bangladesh. The ‘Preliminary Development Project Proposal’ (PDPP) for this project has been sent from the Ministry of Water Resources to the Ministry of Planning for approval.
The interest of the Bangladesh Water Development Board (BWDB) and related circles in the Padma Barrage is well known. For this reason, it was also included in the ‘Delta Plan 2100’ formulated during the previous government’s tenure. Its budget in the current PDPP is estimated at around 35 thousand crore Taka. It is not surprising that the relevant ministry would be interested in a project with such a huge budget; but the question is, have the project preparers been able to prove beyond a doubt that this project will benefit Bangladesh? Is there any such study? If so, why is it not being published for the public?
Only one argument regarding this project can be found in the PDPP prepared by the BWDB, which is that it will allow the retention of water in the Padma during the dry season and its flow into the rivers of the south-west; but there is no mention or discussion of the potential negative aspects of this project in it. However, this project will have significant negative impacts on both upstream and downstream areas.
First, siltation will fill the riverbed upstream of the barrage, and flooding and riverbank erosion will increase on both banks of the river for about 145 kilometers from the proposed site of the barrage at Pangsha to Rajshahi. The experience of the Farakka Barrage in India testifies to this. Due to Farakka, the bed of the Ganges upstream up to Patna in Bihar has risen by about 20 feet, resulting in intense flooding and riverbank erosion. That is why a strong movement has built up there, under the leadership of the former Chief Minister of Bihar, Nitish Kumar, demanding the demolition of the Farakka Barrage.
Second, the exact amount of water diverted to the south-west during the dry season of this river through the proposed Padma Barrage will be the exact amount of water reduced for the central region of the country and the Meghna estuary. As a result, the flow of the Arial Khan and other rivers will decrease, and salinity will enter further into the country through the Meghna estuary.
Third, as a result of this project, there will be no more opportunity to press for Bangladesh’s share of the Ganges water from India. Because India will claim that the problems of Bangladesh’s south-west have been solved through the Padma Barrage. It is not surprising, therefore, that India is very enthusiastic about the Padma Barrage. In fact, during the tenure of the previous Awami League government, it was considered to undertake this project jointly with India.
In light of the above issues, environmental organizations BAPA (Bangladesh Poribesh Andolon) and BEN (Bangladesh Environment Network) believe that proceeding with the Padma Barrage project without considering the pros and cons would be a reckless step. Instead, BAPA and BEN think that the government should—firstly, sign and ratify the 1997 UN convention on the use of international watercourses, and based on that, make strong efforts to increase Bangladesh’s share of the Ganges dry season flow from India, and reflect this demand by renewing the upcoming Ganges treaty. Secondly, unblock the connection of all distributary rivers inside Bangladesh with the Ganges and remove all flow-obstructing barriers built on these rivers. Then the monsoon flow of the Ganges will flow through these rivers.
The recent experience of the Baral river testifies to this. The flow of the Ganges was stopped due to a sluice gate built by the BWDB at the source of this river in Charghat, Rajshahi, in 1984. As a result of a long movement by BAPA and BEN, the partial opening of this sluice gate last year allowed the Ganges water to enter this river again after almost 40 years.
The BWDB should learn from this experience. Instead of running after the construction of another questionable structure costing 35 thousand crore Taka, it needs to be engaged in removing the harmful structures it has built in the past. This will benefit the river system of Bangladesh much more. Therefore, it is necessary to proceed on two fronts: on the one hand, securing Bangladesh’s fair share of the dry season flow of the Ganges, and on the other hand, ensuring more proper use of the monsoon flow of the Ganges by removing all obstacles.
It would not be right for the newly formed BNP government to proceed with the proposed Padma Barrage project without an objective study.
Dr. Nazrul Islam
Professor, Asian Growth Research Institute
Former Chief of Development Research, United Nations
Founder, Bangladesh Environment Network (BEN)
The information presented here is an English adaptation based on the report published on The Daily Prothom Alo.
