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Move to revive Ground Water Act

By Chapal Bashar
While • state of anarchy prevails in the uses of ground water as well as in the irriga tion systems, government is now contemplating reviving the Ground Water Regulation Act. ' .
The execution of the Act was suspended soon after its promulgation in 1967 and that suspension still remains.
The Act. formulated under the Ground Water Management Ordinance 1985, provides rules for installing deep tube wells (DTW). shallow tubewells (STW) and other irrigation equipment.
Rules and regulations re lated to the use of underground water were incorpo
rated tn the Act to ensure smooth management and discipline in the sector. The purpose of the Act was also to maintain a safe level of underground water by controlling its indiscriminate lifting.
The Act clearly specified minimum distance to be maintained between two lube-wells. either DTW or STW.
Though no reason was then shown for suspending the Act. the concerned sources said that it was done only to fulfil a condition of the donors.
The condition for World Bank credit on National Minor Irrigation Development Project (NMIDP) stipulated that the restrictions on siting of all
DTWs and STWs should be abolished, rhe NMIDP was undertaken for distribution of STWs through the private sector.
In a recent meeting, the Agriculture Ministry's standing committee on irrigation pro Jects reviewed the situation tn ground water uses and the af fects of unplanned sinking of tubewells.
The meeting observed that due to absence of any restrictions. the minimum distances required between two tube-wells (both DTW and STW) are not being maintained anywhere tn the country.
The Act stipulates that a
minimum distance of 2500 feet should be maintained between two DTWs, while the distance between a DTW and a STW should be 1750 feet. A distance of 800 feet was specified between two STWs.
Since the rule of minimum distance was not . followed or applied, its adverse effects on the underground water level were noticed at many places of the country where procurement of water through STWs and hand tubewells was becoming difficult.
The standing committee of the ministry of agriculture has formed a six-member sub- । committee to look into (the latest situation In the Irrigation sector.
According to a reliable source, the sub-committee has already suggested reinforcing the said Act before the ensuing irrigation season that- begins late November. The recommendation is under consideration of higher authorities who are likely to go for a negotiation with the donors for reviving the Act.
While describing the anar-chic situation In irrigation system, a government official said that even shallow tube-wells were freely installed in the command area of a deep tubewcll, which'created problems In waler management.
He mentioned that the mismanagement often leads to wrangles Among the owners of irrigation equipment. Moreover, there is a lack of
coordination among the organisations working for the supply and installation of deep and shallow tubewells which has aggravated the situation.
Bangladesh Agricultural Development Corporation (BADC), Bangladesh Krishi Bank, Bangladesh Bank, Bangladesh Rural Development Board, Water Board and some non-govcrnmcntal organisations are involved in this irrigation equipment business. But there is no effective coordination, and even no regulation for such a coordination among these "bodies exists, says an expert.
According to experts, the absence of any control on the irrigation system has led to the adverse effect on underground waler level.
A recent official study shows that about one-third area of Bangladesh has become unsuitable for Installing more shallow tubcwells. In areas of the northern region and other parts of the country, the un-. derground water level has gone down as a result of un-^ controlled waler lifting.
The experts warn that If the existing mismanagement in ground water sector continues unabated, the whole country will have to face an alarming situation particularly in dry season when cultivation depends mainly qn ground water irrigation.
At present, nearly 24,000 DTWs and over two lakh sTWs arc in operation all over the country.