Padma Barrage construction to begin next year: Anee

Water Resources Minister Md Shahiduddin Chowdhury Anee on Friday said that Prime Minister Tarique Rahman will formally inaugurate the Padma Barrage Project in the next year.

The minister came up with the remarks while visiting the project site at Habaspur in Pangsha upazila of Rajbari in the afternoon.

“The Padma Barrage Project has already been approved by the Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (ECNEC). It was also a commitment in the BNP’s election manifesto,” he said.

Describing the Padma Barrage as a “mega project” aimed at bringing about an economic transformation, Anee said its implementation would benefit 24 districts. The project would boost agricultural production, generate electricity and expand fisheries and other economic activities, he said.

Prime Minister's Finance and Planning Adviser Dr Rasheed Al Mahmud Titumir, who was present during the visit, said the guarantee clause of the Ganges Water Treaty was secured under the leadership of then-president Ziaur Rahman, who also raised Bangladesh’s water-management interests at the United Nations.

He said former prime minister Khaleda Zia had also worked for major reforms in the country’s water resources management. “In continuation of that, the Prime Minister included either the Teesta Master Plan or the Padma Barrage in the election manifesto as part of the government’s water resources management agenda,” Titumir said.

He said the Padma Barrage project would bring about major changes in water resources management and could eventually serve as a foundation for implementing the Teesta Master Plan.

The Padma Barrage Project was approved at an ECNEC meeting on 13 May.

The government has undertaken the project involving an estimated cost of over Tk344.97 billion to restore major river systems, reduce salinity intrusion and strengthen irrigation and ecological sustainability across large parts of the country.

Under the project, a 2.1-kilometre main Padma Barrage along with associated infrastructure will be constructed. Besides, two hydropower plants are also planned under the project with combined generation capacity of 113 megawatts.