The government has taken an initiative to extend irrigation facilities to some 19,685 hectares of land through modern technology to have some additional harvest of 49,213 tons of food grains after 2013.
The Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (Ecnec) approved the greater Dhaka district irrigation area development project (2nd phase) at a cost of Tk 99 crore on October 12.
Bangladesh Agricultural Development Corporation (BADC) will implement the project funded by the government.
The project also aims to create employment opportunities and alleviate poverty through imparting training to some 3,045 owners of irrigation machine, managers, drivers, field men, farmers and officials, said sources at the planning ministry.
The project has been undertaken to extend irrigation facilities and bringing more arable land under cultivation aiming to increase the income of small, medium and marginal farmers as well as to implement poverty alleviation programme.
The project area possesses some 4,80,404 hectares of arable land in 35 upazilas under six districts where 3,170 hectares of land earlier came under the irrigation facilities in the first phase of the project.
However, some 2,34,068 hectares (49%) of land of the project have already been brought under the irrigation facilities mostly because of self provided irrigation as well as the facilities provided by the BADC.
The project will provide extended irrigation facilities to some 19,685 hectares (4.01%) of land out of the remaining 2,46,336 hectares of land (51%), which remained out of the irrigation facilities.
The project will also maintain the consistency of the greater Dhaka district irrigation area (first phase) and Shaheed Mayez Uddin Gazipur-Narsingdi coordinated area development project.
The sources said the Development Project Proposal (DPP) of the project has been restructured following recommendations of the pre-Ecnec Meeting (PEC) on June 6 this year.
The project activities include proper use of surface water and deep water through modern technology and developing the irrigation infrastructures.
The project activities also include supply of 70 necessary smart card pre-paid meters, its set up and commissioning, procurement of 35 5-cusec low-lift pump, establishment of 40 electric lines for 5-cusec low-lift pump, construction of 50 surface irrigation lines for 5-cusec low-lift pumps, procurement of diesel engine, pump and other materials for 2-cusec low-lift pump, construction of new lines for 2-cusec deep tube well, procurement of 30 submersible pumps, 400 kilometer canal re-excavation, construction of 8 RCC sluice gates, 100 hydraulic structures and 2,000 meter RCC overhead channel.
