Bangladesh approves $2.8bn river project

“Bangladesh approved yesterday a mega river project worth $2.8bn that authorities hope would help the country address its persistent water crisis, often blamed on neighbouring India. The project highlights Dhaka’s efforts to secure water supplies for its agriculture-dependent economy, with river sharing a source of friction with New Delhi for decades. The scheme, which centres on building a 2.1-kilometre (1.3-mile) barrage on Bangladesh’s Padma river, is designed to store up to 2.9bn cubic metres of water. “At least 70mn people across one-third of the country will benefit from this project,” water resources minister Shahid Uddin Chowdhury Anee told reporters after a meeting chaired by Prime Minister Tarique Rahman. He said the project would help dry-season shortages in areas affected by reduced flows linked to India’s Farakka Barrage. Built in 1970, the Farakka Barrage, diverts a large volume of water during the dry season from the Ganges, known as the Padma when it flows into Bangladesh. India has long defended the Farakka Barrage, arguing Dhaka had not made efficient use of its own water resources.

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