Desk Report:
The government has taken up the ‘Padma Barrage Project’ to protect the vast agricultural areas of the southwest and northwest of the country from desertification and ensure water availability during the dry season, said Water Resources Minister Md. Shahiduddin Chowdhury Annie. The project is targeted to be implemented by 2033.
The minister said that the proposed project will affect about one-third of the country’s total area, where about 65 million people live. He said that it is not just an infrastructure project, but is considered a life-saving initiative for the river-dependent population.
He also said that the idea of building the Padma Barrage is not new; four surveys were conducted from 1960 to 2000. Later, in 2002, a possible site was determined through a pre-feasibility study.
A detailed survey project was undertaken in 2004 at a cost of Tk 45 crore, which was completed in 2013. The minister said that the full design of the project has been finalized based on that survey.
The Water Resources Minister also said that the construction of the Padma Barrage has been given priority in the election manifesto of the current government. The DPP of the project has already been formulated by the Water Resources Ministry and sent to the Planning Commission.
The proposed cost of the project is estimated at Tk 34,497.25 crore. The deadline for implementing the project has been set from 2026 to June 2033.
