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Alarmingly low flow from the Ganges

’You can now just walk through the Jamuna'
Railway ferry services in Strajganj-JagannathganJ route remained disrupted for long as the mighty river Jamuna has now lost flow and become almost dead', reports UNB.
More than 500 big shoals have emerged in the channel due to heavy slltatton and an alarming low flow from the Ganges, making ferry move ment totally impossible over the last three months.
"You can Just walk through the , river " railway sources said
The number of passengers in the important east-west railway line connecting Rajshahl region with capital Dhaka, port city Chittagong and other eastern and southern parts of the coun try has drastically dropped, the sources said.
Because, the travellers have to cross the river at their own risk and coat tn country boats both during day and
At least 15 dacolties have been committed on the route in the last three months, robbing the passengers of their all. official sources admitted.
Passengers alleged repeated appeal to the authorities for remedy had gone in vain.
Concerned officials said pas sengers would undergo sc rlous sufferings during pre and post-Eld rush, if im mediate steps are not taken to press the ferry vessel into service.
Officials at Paksey told a visit Ing correspondent that the meagre flow of Ganges (Padma) had caused serious water problems in the river’s vast basin stretched over the north and northwestern districts.
Farmers in these areas including Kushtla. Bheramara, Iswardl. Lalpur. Rajshahl. Bagha. Charghat said they were helpless in a serious irrigation crisis at this crucial stage of standing high yielding variety (HYV) of paddy.
The irrigated rice has become the main annual food crop in these areas.
The Padma, once popularly called "kirtinasha" for its devastating surges, now looks like a desert with a vast expanse sands sparkling in the burning sun of Chaitra.
Only a narrow stream now exists near the Hardinge Bridge due to continued dredging for averting total closure of Beramara-Paksey ferry crossing.
The water level la falling by about 7 centimetre a day. officials said, due to unllat eral control of the Ganges (low at the Farakka barrage and heavy withdrawal by puma at this peak of the dry season.
Water development Board sources said water level at Paksey-Hardinge Bridge was 4.70 metre in February and 3 metre in March. In the corresponding period last year. 1t was 7.11 metre at the same point
The North Bengal Paper Mills at Paksey may have to be closed due to lack of water which is pumped into it from the nearby Padma.
The Mill Manager told UNB the authorities in the mean time had invested Tk.62 lakh since last August till February for dredging the channel that brings water from the river into the mill. The mill requires 1100 tons of water daily.
In the wake of water scarcity, the mill authorities arc thinking about sinking deep tubewells (DTW) as an al ternative. But it's too big project for the management to afford as. he said it would cost an estimated Tk. 2.5 crore.
The water crisis, mainly blamed on siltatlon and the absence of any agreement between India and Bangladesh for the last three years for release of due share of water through Farakka. has also seriously hit the Ganges-Kobadak (GK) Project, the largest
Irrigation project tn Asia, stretching over four districts.
Official sources said the total area of irrigated farm land under the GK Project hart squeezed by about 40 per cent due to shortage of water supply.
Project officials informed that 5.400 cusec water used to be supplied daily to the 3.5 lakh irrigated field in 1 1 upazilas of Kushtia. Magura. Jhenidah and Chuadanga districts. Only 60 per cent water is now being managed with great difficulties, irrigating 2.1 lakh acres of land.
They said four dredgers had been engaged for dredging the Padma to continue the project at a cost of Taka one crore.
The officials cautioned that the project might have to be closed In future. If water level decreases at the current rate.
Informed sources said ihe Indian authorities manipu late 102 out of 114 gates of Farakka barrage diverting water to feed a large hydroelectric project at Darjeeling, besides irrigation and navigation purposes