The Teesta Irrigation Expansion Project, launched in January 2022 with a budget of approximately 1,500 crore taka, was originally scheduled to finish by June 2024. However, after three years, only 42% of the work has been completed. Mahbubur Rahman, chief engineer of the Rangpur Water Development Board, attributed the delays to a lack of funding. As a result, the project’s completion date has been extended to December 2026, but the budget remains unchanged. Despite the slow progress, the project is still ongoing.
This expansion is part of the larger Teesta Irrigation Project, which received approval from the Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (ECNEC) in 2021. The project, under the Ministry of Water Resources, aims to rehabilitate and expand the command area. Work began in January 2022, with the goal of enhancing irrigation capabilities. However, sources within the Water Development Board have confirmed that delays in funding have slowed the pace of construction, making the original June 2024 completion date increasingly unlikely.
The project plans to construct 750 kilometers of secondary and tertiary irrigation canals to provide water to 116,000 hectares of farmland. If completed, it’s expected to boost food production by 1 million metric tons annually. However, ongoing funding shortages have hindered progress.
In addition, sources from the Teesta Barrage Irrigation Project noted that a steady flow of 20,000 cusecs of water is needed to maintain the river’s normal level and to irrigate the project area. Of this, 14,000 cusecs is required for irrigation, while 6,000 cusecs is needed to sustain the river’s flow. During the dry season, however, the Teesta provides only 3,000 to 4,000 cusecs, especially during boro cultivation. This limited water is being diverted through irrigation canals to meet the demand for irrigation.
Bd-pratidin English/ Jisan
