The drastic decline in groundwater levels due to indiscriminate abstraction of water, mainly for irrigation purposes, in the Barind region of the country is a matter of concern. Many areas in the region are currently facing acute water shortages for the above reason. According to a report by The Financial Express, the decline in groundwater level and extensive use of chemical pesticides for pest control pose a serious threat to public health. It is to be noted that due to the distinctive soil nature and comparatively higher altitude of the Barind tract (around 20 up to 40 meters above sea level) the number of rivers that could serve as water reservoirs in the areas is small. Naturally, agriculture in the region is mainly dependent on groundwater extraction. Due to deforestation and the use of underground water for irrigation and other purposes, the region has now become a dry and arid area. A worsening of the situation could be avoided if there was an extensive network of canals to provide surface water for irrigation. However, there is no such regulation.
However, dependence on groundwater for irrigation is no longer limited to the northwest region; This is more or less the same in areas where rivers and other open and closed bodies of water were far more numerous just a few decades ago. But many of these natural water reservoirs have either reached the end of their lifespan or are beginning to dry up, due to the natural process of silt accumulation and also due to thoughtless interventions by powerful forces. Unplanned dam construction also contributes to the loss of navigability and the death of numerous rivers. Both large and small rivers accumulated large amounts of silt on their beds over long periods of time, but no measures such as large-scale dredging and river training were taken to revive the dead rivers or rivers in their death throes.
Even in areas that were once crisscrossed by rivers and dotted with water bodies, farmers now rely on groundwater for irrigation due to the dwindling number of freshwater sources. According to a joint study by the Directorate of Groundwater Hydrology and the World Bank, the country abstracts an estimated 32 cubic kilometers of groundwater annually, 90 percent of which is used for irrigation. According to the UN World Water Development Report 2022, Bangladesh is the sixth country in the world with the largest estimated annual groundwater abstraction. As a result, the groundwater level in the country is falling faster. These are simply terrible in this very humid country, which averages around 2,200 millimeters of rainfall per year and is inundated by frequent floods. With proper maintenance of rivers and other water bodies, surface water would be sufficient for irrigation.
Bangladesh is a delta plain consisting of three mighty river systems namely the Ganges, the Brahmaputra and the Meghna, which originate from the Himalayan Mountains and adjoining regions and completed their journey in the Bay of Bengal. These rivers and hundreds of their tributaries transported billions of tons of silt over millions of years and deposited it at their mouths. This process ultimately led to the geophysical formation of this largest delta in the world. But that's not all their role: they were behind the development of a special type of ecology and environment, as well as unique flora and fauna. They also shaped people's lives and livelihoods, leaving an indelible mark on their culture.
From the above facts, it is clear that rivers are vital to the economy of this country. The interconnected rivers served as a communications network and played an important role in trade and commerce. Rivers are rich in hundreds of delicious species of fish and provided a significant portion of people's food needs and were the source of livelihood for a large fishing community. According to sources, 60 percent of the country's population still relies on river water for animal protein consumption. Rivers were the main sources of irrigation for agriculture. The World Bank estimates that rivers contribute $1.2 billion annually to Bangladesh's economy.
Nature has endowed Bangladesh with all these resources. But instead of ensuring their sustainable use, they were left unused or underutilized. Indifference and neglect towards rivers are clearly visible on the rivers surrounding the capital. These have fallen into such a deplorable condition that aquatic plants and animals cannot live in them due to heavy pollution and lack of dissolved oxygen in their water. Improved road and rail communications networks are undoubtedly essential for faster economic growth, but they have been given biased value because inland waterways have been neglected. Irrigation using river water and low-cost technologies would have been significantly cheaper, but instead the loss of these natural amenities led to irrigation using costly foreign technology and imported fossil fuels. According to estimates, out of a total of 24,000 kilometers of rivers, around 5,900 km of waterways are currently navigable in the rainy season, while in the dry season it is only around 3,800 km. A nation that neglects its natural resources deserves only compassion.
However, the time is not yet up to develop strategies to maintain the navigability of the existing rivers and reclaim the lost rivers through necessary dredging and river training. Particular attention should be paid to bringing dying rivers back to life. Irrigation with groundwater should be phased out and reverted to the use of surface water from rivers and canals. The Bangladesh Delta Plan 2100 sets six specific goals, five of which focus on the conservation of rivers, wetlands and ecosystems and the efficient use of water. Concrete plans should now be developed and implemented to bring the dead and dying rivers back to life and ensure their sustainable use.
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