Padma Barrage Project in Bangladesh
The Padma barrage is a significant river engineering project approved by Bangladesh, aiming to address hydrological challenges in the country's southwest region, particularly due to the effects of the Farakka barrage upstream in India.
Project Overview
- The barrage will be constructed on the Padma river in Rajbari district, which is Bangladesh's portion of the Ganga river.
- It will span 2.1 kilometers and include 78 spillway gates, undersluices, navigation locks, fish passages, and embankments.
- This project will impound approximately 2.9 billion cubic meters of water.
- It includes the generation of 113 MW of hydropower.
Impact and Scope
- The project is expected to affect about 37% of Bangladesh's land area.
- It aims to irrigate approximately 2.88 million hectares of farmland.
Support and Criticism
- Supporters view it as a crucial national water security project.
- Critics highlight potential underperformance issues, unpredictable sediment flow alterations, and new ecological problems like water-logging and fisheries damage.
- Environmental groups have expressed concerns about the project's rapid approval and the need for more public scrutiny.
Regional and Global Context
As noted by experts Mehebub Sahana and Bayes Ahmed, the project reflects a trend in South Asia towards building barriers on rivers, contrasting with efforts in Europe and North America to remove outdated dams and restore natural river flows. For instance, in 2025, 21 European countries dismantled a record 603 barriers to facilitate free river flow.
