Teesta megaproject being restructured to add water conservation: PM's info adviser

The Teesta megaproject is being restructured to address the long-term water crisis in northern Bangladesh, Prime Minister's Information and Broadcasting Adviser Zahed Ur Rahman said today (19 May). 

Speaking at a press briefing in the Press Information Department's conference room at the Secretariat, he said the revised project will incorporate effective water conservation measures alongside flood and riverbank-erosion control. 

Speaking in his capacity as adviser to the Joint Rivers Commission, Zahed said the key issue raised during discussions with the prime minister on the Teesta megaproject was that the project should go beyond flood and erosion control to include water storage for use during the dry season. 

He stated that the current project plan involves confining the Teesta River within a width of approximately 800 metres, increasing its depth through dredging and protecting its banks, measures he said focus primarily on flood control and erosion prevention.

"Riverbank erosion and flooding are both major problems in the Teesta basin. But the project does not have an effective water storage mechanism like the Padma barrage. Yet during the dry season, the Teesta faces a severe water shortage," he said. 

He added that the prime minister has rightly questioned why a water storage arrangement similar to the Padma barrage, which stores water during the monsoon for dry-season use, should not be incorporated into the Teesta project as well. 

The PM's adviser said the project is accordingly being restructured to include new water conservation and utilisation measures. 

"That is why it is taking some time. But we hope the public will understand this restructuring is being done to implement a more effective and integrated project for the long-term well-being of the people," he said.