Ganga (Padma) Barrage: Questions and Proposals
The proposed Ganges (Padma) Barrage is planned at Pangsha in Rajbari with an estimated initial cost of Tk 34,970 crore. The infrastructure is designed to retain dry-season water and divert it to multiple rivers across southwestern Bangladesh, with official projections indicating it would counter dry-season shortages, mitigate salinity intrusion, and support local irrigation, fisheries, navigation, and economic development.
Despite these intended benefits, water and environmental experts have raised substantial concerns regarding the project’s viability and ecological footprint. Core issues center on the accuracy of the hydrological data used during planning, whether sufficient upstream water will actually be available, and how the structure might alter sediment transport, river morphology, delta ecosystems, and downstream erosion. In response, specialists advocate treating the Ganges as a transboundary river system requiring basin-wide international cooperation and integrated water-and-sediment governance rather than relying on isolated structural interventions.
