Teesta barrage plan under review, says PM

Technical and financial assessments are underway for constructing another barrage on the Teesta River to store water during the dry season, Prime Minister Tarique Rahman told Parliament on Wednesday.

He made the remarks while replying to a question during the question-answer session of the 13th Jatiya Sangsad’s second and first budget session. The prime minister was not present in Parliament, and his written response was tabled.

Responding to a question from Rangpur-4 lawmaker Akhter Hossain, Tarique Rahman said the Teesta River is crucial to the livelihoods of people in northern Bangladesh. He said reduced water flow during the dry season due to various constraints, including upstream interventions, has affected the Teesta Irrigation Project and agricultural activities.

On the other hand, he said excessive rainfall upstream during the monsoon often causes sudden floods and river erosion in the region.

The prime minister said riverbank protection work is currently underway in five Teesta basin districts, Rangpur, Nilphamari, Kurigram, Gaibandha and Lalmonirhat at a cost of Tk 230 crore.

The project includes protection of 42.5 kilometres of riverbanks and is expected to be completed this month, he said. Of this, around 4.6 kilometres of riverbank protection work in the Rangpur-4 constituency is being implemented at a cost of nearly Tk 24 crore, which is also scheduled for completion this month.

Tarique Rahman said a feasibility study for a sustainable and integrated development plan centred on the Teesta River has already been completed.

According to the study report, the proposed Teesta master plan includes 110 kilometres of riverbank protection and river management, 110 kilometres of dredging, construction of 224 kilometres of flood control embankments along with roads on the embankments, construction and repair of 67 groynes/spurs, and reclamation and development of 170 square kilometres of land.

He said the government is working to implement comprehensive development plans for the Teesta region to improve the lives of people living along the river.

TZ