Accepted Papers - 3.pdf - UNESCO

ody through water conservation and management
especially from the end of monsoon and will provide
opportunities for groundwater recharge in the area.
This may further contribute to expansion of irrigated
area and minimizing level of arsenic contamination
of groundwater. There will be better environment
through increased vegetation and available water
body during dry months (November to May). During
June to October, all rivers in Bangladesh including
those in the Atria and Baral basins have very healthy
life and often cause flood. Flood problem is not
covered in this paper as it involves bigger dimension
of the problem, which is also required for overall
improved agricultural production environment,
safety of people and infrastructures. Development
options for maintaining healthy life of the rivers and
improved production environment through
integrated land and water resources are explained
for the Atrai and Baral river basins, which is part of
the Northwest region of Bangladesh.
The Baral river basin area is comprised of the
river systems: Baral-Nandakuja, Musakhan, Narod
and Godai and about 16 minor channels from Baral-
Nandakujs rivers. The Baral is an off take of the
Ganges originating at Charghat (Figure1), flows
towards East and Northeast and discharges into the
Atrai – Gur - Gimini river system (BETS and HCL,
1997). Therefore, Baral serves a spill channel for
diversion of excess flows from the Ganges to Atari.
This is why, Atrai and Baral basins are dealt together
in this paper as these are interlinked and separation
of basins covered by these rivers is difficult. The
entire Baral basin is covered by interconnecting river
channels. Bangladesh Water Development Board
constructed a 3-vent regulator at Charghat and a 5vent
regulator at Atghori. Construction of regulator
at Charghat has reduced flow of Baral river from
567 cubic meter per second (20,000 cfs) to 142 cubic
meters per second (5,000 cfs) but construction of
these two regulators has created environment of
water conservation and improved water
management for Baral basin and can be utilized for
improving crops, fish and forestry products in the
benefited area of about 86,000 ha (BETS and HCL,
1997).
Rivers listed in Table 2 are passing through and
covers most part of Atrai and Baral Basin areas
generally of narrow widths and can be
compartmentalized to series of seasonal ponds
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during November to May through appropriate water
conservation structures like weirs and rubber dams.
With planned water conservation and appropriate
management from end of monsoon when most river
water become clean and silt free, water can be stored
to full supply level. This will augment surface water
availability and will serve as supplemental source
of irrigation water for the area. Augmentation of
surface water is required to irrigate the entire area
under these basins since with groundwater, only
about 60% of the area can be irrigated. With the
suggested water conservation in the rivers and canals
and conservation of rainwater in ponds and low
lying area (beels, low lying areas expected to have
standing water even during the dry months) during
the rainy season, almost 100% of the basins can be
irrigated and year-round crop cultivation may be
introduced. Moreover, water stored in the seasonal
ponds/riverbeds will be a continuous source for
groundwater recharge, which subsequently can be
used for irrigation using deep and shallow tubewells
without severe lowering of groundwater table. River
water conservation will also contribute to
afforestation program along the riverbanks.
Irrigation development using low lift pumps for the
lands adjacent to the rivers will be facilitated and
availability of drinking water will improve. Water
bodies can also be used as bathing place for cattle.
Community based fisheries management system
can be introduced in the seasonal ponds following
the Common Property Resource management
procedure of the country. Fisheries experts
confirmed that these seasonal ponds could be
brought under profitable fish cultivation program
through stakeholder participation and on an average,
0.5 to 1.0 ton fish can be harvested per hectare of
water body. In the Baral basin alone, about 3348
metric tons of additional fish can be produced,
which will be worth of Taka 146.3 million
equivalents to about US$3 million as of 1997 price
(Table 3).
Survey results indicate that there are 9 major
canals in Atrai basin area, with water area varying
from 900 to 3900 hectares and having water
conservation structures, 1 to 3 vents (Table 4). These
drainage canals can also be used for water harvesting
and for fish cultivation in addition to irrigation and
household water supply. Success of this approach
may be replicated in other area of the country, which