Bangladesh plans Padma barrage project with own funds: 1st phase proposed at Tk34,608cr
Foreign loans may be sought later
Highlights:
- Bangladesh moves to implement long-delayed Padma Barrage project
- Project cost Tk50,444 crore, planned in two implementation phases
- Pangsha site chosen to regulate Padma flow and water distribution
- Barrage to counter Farakka impacts, reduce salinity, restore rivers
- Project to provide irrigation, hydropower, navigation, ecosystem protection
- Expected high economic returns, boosting agriculture and regional water security
After more than six decades of discussion and feasibility studies, Bangladesh has finally moved to implement the long-awaited Padma Barrage project.
The project proposal was reviewed at a Project Evaluation Committee (PEC) meeting of the Planning Commission on Thursday, with Mustafizur Rahman, member for Agriculture, Water Resources and Rural Institutions Division in the chair.
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The total estimated cost of the project is Tk50,443.64 crore, but the PEC recommended implementing it in two phases, proposing Tk34,608 crore for the first phase, officials at the Bangladesh Water Development Board (BWDB) said.
The scheduled completion is between March 2026 and June 2033, they added.
A senior BWDB official, on condition of anonymity, told TBS that the recast project proposal is expected to be placed before the Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (Ecnec) on 25 January for final approval.
"The interim government has decided to start the project with its own financing, although foreign loans, including from China, may be sought later if available," the official added.
Based on an extensive feasibility study, BWDB has identified Pangsha in Rajbari as the most suitable site. The location would make it easier to control river flow, manage water diversion, and ensure fair downstream distribution through the 2.1-kilometre-long structure.
The official explained that the need for such a barrage has grown due to disrupted water flow in the Padma, caused by India's Farakka Barrage upstream on the Ganges.
When asked about the project, Khondoker Azim Ahmed, additional secretary of the Ministry of Water Resources, referred queries to the BWDB director general, who was unavailable for comment.
Feasibility studies
Bangladesh has been exploring the idea of a Ganges Barrage since the 1960s, with the first study launched in 1961 by the then EPWADA, now the Bangladesh Water Development Board (BWDB).
Between 1960 and 2000, four pre-feasibility studies were conducted. In 2002, the Water Resources Planning Organisation recommended the barrage either at Thakurbari in Kushtia or Pangsha in Rajbari. Detailed feasibility studies and engineering designs were later carried out between 2009 and 2016.
Meanwhile, Bangladesh and India continued technical-level discussions. In October 2016, experts from both countries conducted joint site visits and meetings in Dhaka, followed by the creation of a joint technical sub-committee to facilitate data sharing.
Project features
According to the project proposal, the 2.1km barrage will feature 78 spillway gates, each 18 metres wide, and 18 undersluice gates. A 14m-wide navigation lock for vessels and two 20m-wide fish passes will also be included. The barrage will carry a 2.1km railway bridge.
The project has the potential to generate around 113 megawatts of hydropower and will ensure water supply to key installations, including the Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant.
The first phase includes construction of the main barrage structure along with re-excavation of the Hisna-Mathabhanga and Gorai-Madhumati river systems. The second phase will cover additional supportive infrastructure and restoration of remaining river systems.
BWDB officials said construction of the barrage and related infrastructure is estimated at Tk18,602 crore. Electrical works and the hydropower plant are expected to cost Tk743.22 crore, while the Gorai offtake electrical works and hydropower plant will require Tk418.60 crore.
Dredging of the Gorai and Madhumati rivers has been estimated at Tk1,208 crore, and drainage and re-excavation of the Hisna river system at Tk1,341 crore. Construction of the efflux bund is expected to cost Tk706 crore, while Chandana and Hisna offtake infrastructure is projected at Tk202 crore.
Farakka impact on local rivers
The project proposal states that water flow in Bangladesh's south-west has fallen sharply since India's Farakka Barrage began operation. Under the 1996 Ganges Water Sharing Treaty, the two countries share the river's flow at Farakka from 1 January to 31 May each year.
The 30-year treaty expires this year.
The proposal states that upstream flow reduction from the Farakka has drastically lowered the Padma's flow, harming agriculture, fisheries, forestry, navigation, water supply, and the ecosystem.
Reduced freshwater has damaged the Sundarbans mangrove forest and its biodiversity, and high salinity in nearby rivers and canals during the dry season has caused severe stress.
Declining flow has led to silt accumulation in the Hisna-Mathabhanga, Gorai-Madhumati, and Chandana-Barashia rivers, blocking natural currents. During dry periods, most water flows directly to the Bay of Bengal, leaving inland rivers nearly dry.
This has increased salinity, river erosion, siltation, disrupted navigation, and reduced irrigation and fisheries output. Excessive salinity has also caused widespread "top dying" in Sundarbans trees.
Project benefits
A BWDB official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the barrage would store water from the monsoon season in the Padma, ensuring year-round supply to the south-west and north-west regions.
It will store 2,900 million cubic metres of water during the dry season, restoring flow to the Hisna-Mathabhanga, Gorai-Madhumati, Chandana-Barashia, Ichamati, and Boral river systems.
It will reduce salinity, secure freshwater supply, and protect the Sundarbans ecosystem. The project will also remove silt from rivers in south-western districts, improve polders' drainage, and enhance irrigation.
The official said Padma-dependent areas cover nearly 37% of Bangladesh, home to roughly one-third of the population. The proposed barrage will ensure optimal use of the water under the 1996 treaty.
During critical dry periods, it will release a minimum of 570 cubic metres per second, reviving downstream rivers. The Ganges-dependent area spans roughly 5.19 million hectares across 26 districts.
The project is expected to provide irrigation to around 1.9 million hectares, significantly boosting agriculture in Kushtia, Faridpur, Jashore, Khulna, Barishal, Pabna, and Rajshahi.
The barrage's economic internal rate of return is estimated at 17%, with annual financial benefits projected at approximately Tk73,600 crore, according to project documents.
Expert opinion
Mashfiqus Salehin, professor at Buet's Institute of Water and Flood Management, said feasibility studies were completed many years ago, but previous governments' indecisions and alternative proposals delayed implementation.
He said the project would help control salinity and, in some areas, restore degraded water systems during the dry season. Reduced river navigability and sedimentation, especially in the dry months, could be significantly mitigated, while waterlogging issues in Satkhira and Khulna would improve.
"The project could also ensure water supply to around seven to eight rivers," said the expert.
However, constructing such a large infrastructure carries risks, warned Salehin. "Erosion upstream and sediment accumulation downstream could raise riverbeds, as observed with India's Farakka Barrage."
He added that careful consideration of morphological, environmental, and ecological impacts, combined with advanced design and technology, can substantially reduce these risks.
