Padma Barrage project vital for southwest, northwest regions: Anee

Minister for Water Resources Md. Shahiduddin Chowdhury Anee today said in Jatiya Sangsad that the proposed Padma Barrage Project is very important and it will be implemented to ensure water availability during the dry season in the vast agricultural areas of the Padma basin. Anee said this in the Parliament today in response to a starred tabled question from ruling party lawmaker Harun-Or-Rashid (Rajbari-2).

He highlighted the importance of the project for the country's southwest and northwest regions. These regions cover nearly one-third of Bangladesh's total land area and are home to approximately 6.5 crore people. The minister described the Padma Barrage as a life-saving initiative for river-dependent communities. He noted that the concept of constructing a barrage on the Padma River is longstanding.  Between 1960 and 2000, he said four separate studies were conducted to formulate the project. 

A pre-feasibility study in 2002 identified potential locations, followed by a detailed feasibility study project in 2004 with a cost of Tk 45 crore. The study was completed in 2013, leading to the finalization of the project's full design. The Water Resources Minister said the project has also been prioritized in the current government's election manifesto. In continuation of these efforts, he said the Ministry of Water Resources has already prepared the Development Project Proposal (DPP) and submitted it to the Planning Commission. The estimated cost of the project has been set at Tk 34,497.25 crore. The implementation period of the project is scheduled from 2026 to June 2033.