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Tubewell-use deregulation

Govt differs with WB proposal

By Mahfuz Ullah
The government has reacted unfavourably to the World Bank (WB) proposal to deregulate the use of shallow and deep tubewells for Irrigation. according to highly placed sources.
The government response came on the impact evaluation report of the shallow tubewells prepared very recently by the Agriculture and Human Dcve lopment Division of the Bank based in Washington.
The 105-page report in Its observation termed the regulation of tubewell siting as counter productive and suggested deregulation on the plea that it would double or triple the present areas irri-
gated from ground water.
The government, according to sources, refuted the Bank's suggestion because ground wa ter for a country is the insurance against any future crisis and Its irrational use would have adverse impacts on the environment.
The government in its reaction told the WB that in view of the geo-physical condition of the country doubling or tripling the ground water use might lead to serious land subsidence In the country.
Referring to the WB observation that restrictions tn the way of using shallow or deep tubewells would deny other farmers access to the water reservoir lying below 6 to 8 metres, the government said that deregulation would limit the availability of drinking waler for millions of people in the country.
The government feels that It Is important to maintain the Kind water table at a certain
I so as to cater to the needs of over a millton of hand tubewells, the only source of clean drinking stater for about 85 per cent of the country's total population
Besides, drawing down the waler table below 6-8 metres would render thousands of Knds tanks and other shni v water bodies dry during lean seasons causing problems to domestic and livestock uses 1n rural Bangladesh, sources added
In addition, the closed wn ter fisheries already threatened by excessive drawing of the ground water would be pul In further crisis.
Sources further said that a strong lobby favouring Imports Uon of shallow and deep tube wills was trying to impress the government for deregulating their use
Referring to adverse Im pacts of these types of tube wells they said that when the number of deep tubewells has come down to 2000 from 22000 the same number lias gpne upto 32000 In the country. In addition, not more than 5 per cent of the global trriga
Uon requirement Is met front ground water reserves
Environmentalists feel that indiscriminate sittings of shal low and deep tubewells have already given rise to problems In certain areas of the country.
Environmentalists further warned that the ground water In Bangladesh was not an inexhaustible free commodity and priority needed to be attached to Its rational use and Its pro tection against over-exptoita-tion and pollution.
Environmentalists argue, sound development and con scrvatlon polity should provide for preferential allocation of ground water giving approprl ate weight to Its different competitive uses and balancing short term demands with tong term objectives In the Interest of the present and the future generations