Surface water conservation together with promoting its use in irrigation can be the crucial means of mitigating the water crisis, which is being deepened due to deficit of rainfall, in the region, including its vast Barind tract.
Prospects of boosting irrigation by surface water is very bright in the water-stressed Barind area as it has scores of natural water bodies which remain in uncared and derelict condition at present.
Experts and other stakeholders came up with the observation while addressing a daylong workshop titled "Present Situation of Surface Water in Barind and Way forward" held at Godagari Upazila Parishad conference hall in the in Rajshahi district on Monday.
The upazila administration hosted the workshop discussing and devising ways and means on how to enrich surface water besides promoting the irrigation based on surface water.
Two upazila vice-chairmen Abdul Maleque and Sufiya Khatun addressed the meeting as focal persons, while Upazila Nirbahi Officer Jane Alam was in the chair. President of Upazila Press Club Alamgir Kabir and Mohanpur Union Parishad Chairman Khairul Islam also spoke.
In his remarks, Abdul Maleque said transformation of all the existing underground water-based irrigation into surface water ones can be crucial in lessening the gradually mounting pressure on groundwater.
He said that the gradually declining water resources are posing a serious threat to the living and livelihood conditions of the marginalized and other less-income group families in the water-stressed area.
He, however, said rainwater harvesting can be the effective means of easing living and livelihood conditions of people through mitigating the water crises in the Barind area.
Time has come to extend necessary knowledge and devices to the communities to make them capable of availing the opportunities of rainwater harvesting technologies.
Sufiya Khatun underscored the need for substantial and sustainable promotion of rainwater harvesting that can also be the crucial means of enriching surface water resources in the Barind area.
She said the present government under the dynamic and visionary leadership of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has been working relentlessly to ensure water rights to all.
