Padma water level measurement starts

Monitoring of water level at different points of the Ganges and Padma, the two major rivers of the neighbouring countries, was started yesterday by India and Bangladesh jointly under the Ganges Water Sharing Treaty 1996.

Water Development Board (WDB) sources said the flow of water in the mighty Padma is much better than that of the previous years.

A two-member Bangladeshi team headed by Pabna WDB Executive Engineer KM Johurul Haque started recording of water level at Hardinge Bridge point, about 2500 feet upstream of the Padma river, yesterday morning.

A two-member Indian delegation led by Ananda Prakash Kandiyal, deputy director of Indian Centre Water Commission (CWC) and Shivram, a member of CWC, are also likely to join the joint monitoring team in Pabna today.

“Due to the country's general election, the Indian experts came to Bangladesh today [Tuesday] and will start their observation from tomorrow [Wednesday],” Johurul said.

Although the Indian experts could not reach there in scheduled time, they started the recording on their own yesterday, he said.

The flow of water in Padma at Hardinge Bridge point is between 80,000 to 90,000 cusec at this moment, which was between 65,000 to 70,000 cusec last year, Johurul added.

The team of the joint experts will record water level of a 10-day cycle at Hardinge Bridge point and file their reports, the WDB engineer said.

According to the treaty, two joint experts committees, one in India and one in Bangladesh, record the water level for five months from January 1 to May 31 every year.