United News of Bangladesh

Prime Minister Tarique Rahman will inaugurate a nationwide canal excavation programme in 53 districts on March 16 from Sahapara in Kaharol upazila of Dinajpur. The information was shared on Friday by Social Welfare, Women and Children Affairs Minister AZM Zahid Hossain, after visiting the project site. State Minister for Water Resources Farhad Hossain Azad, was also present. Speaking during the visit, Zahid Hossain said canal excavation and re-excavation was one of the key election pledges of Prime Minister Tarique Rahman. As part of fulfilling that commitment and to support economic growth and a “green revolution,” the prime minister will simultaneously inaugurate canal excavation works in 53 locations across the country from Sahapara in Kaharol upazila on March 16, he said. Many canals originally excavated during the tenure of former President Ziaur Rahman have since become filled up, while previous governments failed to take initiatives for their restoration, he added. He said re-excavating canals can play a positive role in the country’s economy by improving irrigation facilities for farmers and supporting fisheries, duck farming and tree plantation along canal banks. It can also help reduce waterlogging, drain excess water during the rainy season and retain water during dry periods, thereby increasing the use of surface water and reducing reliance on groundwater. The minister noted that forest coverage in the northern region remains low, around 8–9 percent, compared to about 20 percent in other parts of the country, while the ideal coverage should be 20–25 percent. Executive Engineer of the Bangladesh Water Development Board Faruk Ahmed said the re-excavation of the 12.2-kilometre canal at Sahapara, to be carried out at a cost of about Tk 22.5 crore, will help protect around 60,000 metric tonnes of Aman paddy grown on 1,500 acres of land in two nearby wetlands each year. The value of the crops that would otherwise be lost is estimated at about Tk 205 crore. The project will also bring about 1,200 hectares of fallow land under irrigation and extend irrigation benefits to nearly 40 square kilometres of surrounding areas, he added. Among others present during the visit were Jatiya Sangsad Whip Akhtaruzzaman Mia, Monjurul Islam MP, Syed Jahangir Alam MP, Dinajpur Deputy Commissioner Rafiqul Islam.