Md. Alauddin, Chuadanga Correspondent
Farmers of 13 upazilas under Kushtia, Chuadanga, Jhenaidaha and Magura districts have been getting little irrigation facility from the Ganges-Kobadak Irrigation Project or the G-K Project. Although the objectives of construction of the project were to increase food production, improve cropping patterns, increase cropping intensity, and improve the socioeconomic conditions of the farmers, the project has almost failed to meet those.
The G-K Project, with a total number of 1,402 personnel, of whom 57 are officers and technical experts, and 1,345 are supporting and field staff, is almost not coming to any use of the farmers. The irrigation project is on the right bank of Ganges (The Padma in Bangladesh territory) at Bharamara upazila of Kushtia district covers an area of 1,97,500 hectares of land. Of the total, 1,16,000 hectares of land is net irrigable.
The project maintained by Bangladesh Water Development Board has suffered from problems both at the implementation and operational stages. Extracting water from the Ganges become very difficult in dry season as the pumps were designed much below the water level. Water use has been considerably higher than anticipated and this has led to a reluctance to develop the full irrigable area. On the other hand, there was also no arrangement for dredging around one million cubic metres of silt annually form the canal leading from the Ganges to the pump house.
G-K Project depends on flow of the Ganges. The project was implemented in 1955-56 fiscal year. Cultivation of local variety paddy and water supply was started in 1962-63. Kushtia sadar, Kumarkhali, Khuksa, Mirpur, Bheramar, Daulatpur of Kushtia district, Chuadanga sadar, Alamdanga of Chuadanga district, Jhinedah sadar, Horinakundu, Sailkupa of Jhenidah district and Magura sadar and Sreepur of Magura district are under the jurisdiction of the G-K Project.
Zahedul Islam, executive engineer of Chuadanga Water Development Board said about 25 lakh farmers are cultivating crops under the project. Under the project, the length of canals for water distribution is 1,655 kilometer. Of the total length 193 km is main canal, 467 km secondary canal and 995 tertiary canals. Length of inspection roads under the project is 228 kilometres. Length of water drainage canal is 971 km. Flood control embankment is 39 km.
A total of 15 pumps are in the project. Of the total, 3 are main pumps and rest 12 are subsidiary pumps. The three main pumps are using to lifting water with 153 cusec capacity from the river Ganges. The irrigation system is generally energized in First week of January and is shut down in Mid-November. Md. Zahedul Islam, executive engineer of Chudanga water development Board said at least 2184 structures such as bridge, culvert, syphon, aqueduct, off take structure, check gate, check regulator, head regulator and outlet structure are in the project area.
