The special committee, formed for the implementation of the Ganges Barrage, has chosen a suitable location for construction of the barrage at Pangsha Upazila in Rajbarhi.
Published : 05 Oct 2010, 11:07 AM
The barrage will be constructed to ensure the irrigation systems in the 19 south-western districts, by preserving the water of the river Padma during the rainy season, and produce 160MW of hydroelectricity.
The committee has already finished one-thirds of the scrutinising process and inspection is expected to be concluded by the end of the first quarter of 2012. Tenders will be invited for construction of the barrage in April the same year on the basis of inspection report.
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina will inaugurate the construction work of the barrage by November.
Water Resources Minister Ramesh Chandra Sen was talking to reporters after a discussion on the advancement of Ganges Barrage Project at the auditorium of the livestock ministry on Tuesday.
State Minister Mahbubur Rahman, Secretary Sheikh Wahid-uz Zaman, and the officials concerned were also present at the discussion.
Sen said that the half of the inspection work of the project will be completed in the next two months. "The inspection report may reach the ministry at the first period of 2012, if the current advancement continues at the same pace. We will invite tenders by April."
Commenting on the project cost, the minister said that the Ganges Barrage Project was a multipurpose project. Initially the probable cost to implement the project was estimated to be Tk 120 billion. "It will take 10 years to complete the whole project. However, it will take three years to finish the main barrage construction."
The government will implement the project with its own funds, but will also search for donor organisations or countries for the fund system. He said that the government will conclude the fund-providing agreements with the donor organisations as early as possible.
The people of the south-western districts are depended on the water from the river Padma, the minister said, the project has been taken in a bid to ensure the irrigation systems in those districts, by preserving the water from the Padma and rain during the rainy season, and save the areas from being desertification.
The water resources minister claimed that the undergoing project would create irrigation facilities for 1.9 million hectors of land in the area.
The minister expressed his hope that the project would also be able to generate 160MW of hydroelectricity when implemented.
Additionally, the project will help in developing environmental balance, increasing water flow and navigability of the rivers, which are dependent on the river Ganges, and in the preservation and extension of fisheries and water resources.