Another barrage on Teesta River under consideration: PM

Prime Minister Tarique Rahman on Wednesday told Parliament that the government is considering construction of another barrage on the Teesta River to conserve water during the dry season.

“Technical and financial aspects are being examined for constructing another barrage on the Teesta River to conserve water during the dry season,” he said while replying to a question from NCP lawmaker Akhter Hossen (Rangpur-4).

He said the Teesta is vital for livelihoods in northern Bangladesh, but upstream dams and other limitations reduce water flow during the dry season, affecting irrigation and agriculture, while excessive rainfall upstream often causes sudden floods and riverbank erosion during the monsoon.

The Prime Minister said riverbank protection works covering 42.5 kilometres are underway in five Teesta basin districts—Rangpur, Nilphamari, Kurigram, Gaibandha and Lalmonirhat—at a cost of Tk 230 crore and are scheduled for completion this month.

He said a feasibility study for a sustainable and integrated Teesta development plan has already been completed, he said.

According to the study, the proposed Teesta Master Plan includes river training and protection works along 110 kilometres, dredging of another 110 kilometres, construction of 224 kilometres of flood control embankments with roads on top, and reclamation and development of 170 square kilometres of land.

Replying to a tabled question from treasury bench lawmaker Robiul Awal (Tangail-6), the Prime Minister said implementation of the Tk 34,347-crore Padma Barrage project will add an extra 0.45 percent growth to the country's Gross Domestic Product (GDP).

“Once the project is implemented, it will be possible to generate 113 MW of hydropower and achieve an additional 0.45 percent GDP growth,” he said.

The Prime Minister said the current government's election manifesto has attached importance to tackling climate change and that a number of multi-dimensional programmes have been undertaken in the water resources sector to address its adverse impacts.

These include implementation of the Padma Barrage project, the Teesta Master Plan, riverbank erosion prevention, flood protection measures and reduction of salinity in agricultural lands, he said.

Noting that the first phase of the Padma Barrage project involving Tk 34,347 crore was approved on May 13 last, he said, "Through the implementation of this project, the river system in the Padma-dependent areas will be revitalised by conserving water in the Padma River during the dry season and increasing the flow of water."

Besides, it would reduce salinity intrusion in the southern region, restore the ecological balance of the Sundarbans, improve drainage systems, reduce waterlogging, expand irrigation facilities and strengthen water security, said Tarique Rahman.

Highlighting different climate initiatives, he said a programme has been undertaken to plant 25 crore trees in the next five years.

He said the Bangladesh Climate Change Trust has prioritised research, innovation, training and extension activities to address climate risks and has taken several initiatives, including the creation of rural natural reservoirs in coastal districts to preserve rainwater and ensure drinking water security.

The Prime Minister said the government has taken an initiative to formulate a National Adaptation Plan (NAP) Investment Roadmap with support from the Asian Development Bank (ADB) to implement the NAP under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change to combat the adverse impacts of climate changes.

Alongside adaptation efforts, he said, the government has started preparing the Third Nationally Determined Contributions (NDC 3.0) to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

Under the NDC 3.0, some 25 percent of the country's total electricity demand will be met from renewable sources by 2035, four waste-to-energy plants and 26 integrated landfill and resource recovery facilities will be established, while afforestation and reforestation programmes covering 100,000 hectares in coastal, island and degraded areas will be implemented.

He said work has also begun on formulating Long-Term Low Emission Development Strategies to reduce emissions.

Replying to a question from BNP lawmaker Md Abdullah (Munshiganj-1), the Prime Minister said the government has adopted various measures to increase the tax-to-GDP ratio and the National Board of Revenue has already adopted a Medium and Long-Term Revenue Strategy (MLTRS) in this regard.

“We hope that implementation of these plans will increase the tax-to-GDP ratio by two percentage points within one year and raise it to 10 percent within five years,” he said.

He added that various initiatives, including the Strengthening Domestic Revenue Mobilisation Project and gradual rationalisation of tax exemptions, have been undertaken with a target of increasing the tax-to-GDP ratio to 15 percent by 2035.

Responding to a question from BNP lawmaker Mobasser Alam Bhuiyan (Cumilla-10), Tarique Rahman said the government’s electoral manifesto put importance on the improvement of road and rail connectivity.

To improve the road connectivity, he said plans have been taken to gradually establish an expressway grid on national highways and develop a multimodal transport system to reduce pressure on roads.

Regarding railways, the PM said 24 projects have been identified under short-term (up to 2026-27), medium-term (2027-2030) and long-term (2031-2045) action plans to implement the Railway Master Plan and establish Bangladesh Railway as the backbone of the national transport system.

According to the formulated Railway Master Plan, railway services will be gradually brought to the doorsteps of every district and major towns with the aim of establishing Bangladesh Railway as the backbone of the national transport system, he said.

The government has also decided to introduce electric traction on major routes to reduce travel time and ensure safer and environment-friendly transportation, he added.

Replying to a question from treasury bench lawmaker Shamsur Rahman Simul Biswas (Pabna-5), the Prime Minister said the government is working to gradually increase the use of surface water in Dhaka and all divisional cities to reduce pressure on groundwater.

He said Dhaka WASA currently collects around 65 to 70 percent of its water from groundwater sources and the remaining 30 to 35 percent from surface water sources such as the Padma, Meghna and Shitalakkhya rivers.

To address alarming depletion of groundwater levels in Dhaka, water treatment plants at Gandharbpur in Rupganj and Saidabad are increasing the supply of treated water from the Meghna and Shitalakkhya rivers, he said.

Tarique Rahman said Chattogram WASA now sources about 92 percent of its water from surface sources, while only eight percent comes from groundwater.

He said Rajshahi WASA currently supplies two percent of its water from surface sources and 98 percent from groundwater.

Responding to a question from BNP lawmaker Mostafizur Rahman Babul (Jamalpur-3), the Prime Minister said the government is attaching the highest priority to implementing the Expanded Programme on Immunisation (EPI) to prevent measles outbreaks.

He said the causes and spread of measles, as well as the impact of policy and operational issues on vaccination activities, are being regularly reviewed and evaluated.

He said the matter will be examined based on necessary data and technical assessments to determine whether any changes in vaccine procurement procedures have negatively affected immunisation activities.

If any negligence of any person or institution is found, necessary action will be taken in accordance with existing laws and regulations, he said, reports UNB.