Asian Age: The Barind Multipu-rpose Development Authority (BMDA) has brought over 8.93 lakh hectares of croplands including 3.15 lakh hectares irri-boro fields under irrigation in almost 16 districts of Rajshahi and Rangpur divisions, reports BSS.
The huge croplands get the irrigation facilities through operating 15,517 power-driven deep tube wells (DTWs) and 417 low lift pumps in almost round the year. Through this initiative, the BMDA, ever largest irrigation-providing state organization in the country’s northwest region, has realized around Taka 152.99 crore as irrigation charge during the last 2017-18 fiscal, up by Taka 2.27 crore over the 2016-17 fiscal.
Engineer Abdur Rashid, Executive Director of BMDA, told BSS that the irrigated lands have yielded more than 35 lakh tons including 26.73 lakh tons of additional crops especially food grain in the region especially the vast Barind tract yearly. The region scored significant progress in the crop production sector following the expansion of irrigation facilities along with supplying water from the re-excavated canals and ponds. Even around 30 to 35 years back, only a single crop could be produced in the areas depending on the rainfall.
But, at present, at least three crops are being harvested by dint of the expanded irrigation facilities.

Around 57.57 percent area of the total cultivable land of the region has,so far, been brought under the irrigation facilities. Prior to the inception of BMDA the number of DTWs was only 500 in total irrigated area of about 5,000 hectares. At that time, the farmers had to depend on the mercy of rainwater for the cultivation. Now, the number of DTWs has increased to 15,517 in the command areas irrigating 3.36 lakh hectares of crop lands round the year benefiting more than 5.46 lakh farming families.

In addition to the irrigation activities, the BMDA has been implementing various need-oriented uplift programs aimed at improving the socioeconomic conditions by increasing crop production side by side protecting the region from adverse impact of the environment.

It has already executed 33 projects under its command areas since 1985-86 to 2017-18. Currently, 10 other projects are being implemented in different districts where around 60 percent of the total work has been completed while the rest is expected to be executed in phases by June 2021.

Abdur Rashid mentioned that some of the projects had initially been executed with the government funds. But, now the BMDA has been implementing the projects with its own funds along with payment of monthly staff salaries since the last couple of years.

“We have revived and activated 4,332 non-functional deep tube wells in the region in different phases,” he said. Additional 24.48 lakh tons of food grain is expected to be produced in the region if the rest 5.83 lakh hectares of non-irrigated land were brought under irrigation.

Till last June, the BMDA installed 11,185 deep tube-wells and 423 low lift pumps, re-excavated 1972-kilometer canal and 3098 derelict ponds, constructed and expanded 3127-kilometer water distribution infrastructures alongside 1579 drinking water supply installations and 300 dug wells and 745 cross-dams, which ensured a sound irrigation system.