Dhaka: Prime Minister Tarique Rahman will formally inaugurate the Padma Barrage project between January and March next year, Water Resources Minister Md Shahiduddin Chowdhury Anee said. He made the remarks on Friday while inspecting the site of the proposed Padma Barrage project at Habaspur in Pangsha upazila of Rajbari.
According to United News of Bangladesh, Finance and Planning Adviser Rashed Al Mahmud Titumir, State Minister for Water Resources Farhad Hossain Azad, State Minister for Cultural Affairs Ali Newaz Mahmud Khaiyam, and MP Mohammad Harun-or-Rashid were present during the visit. The Water Resources Minister explained that the implementation of the Padma Barrage is expected to drive significant economic transformation across 24 southwestern districts and bring substantial changes to the agriculture and fisheries sectors.
Two hydropower plants, each with a capacity of 113 megawatts, are to be developed at the Padma Barrage site. The technical study for this ambitious project commenced in 2004 during the tenure of then Prime Minister Khaleda Zia. Anee mentioned that the necessary manpower for the Padma Barrage project has been recruited, and work has already begun.
The government has sanctioned the project with a budget of Tk 34,497 crore, which will be funded entirely from domestic sources. The project is slated for completion over a span of seven years. Anee outlined that the proposed Padma Barrage will stretch 2.1 kilometers and include 78 spillway gates, 18 undersluice gates, one navigation lock, and two fish passes. Additionally, a railway bridge will be constructed over the barrage.
Present at the inspection were Water Resources Ministry Secretary Dr. AKM Shahabuddin, Bangladesh Water Development Board Director General Md Ruhul Amin, Rajbari Deputy Commissioner Afroza Parvin, and District Council Administrator Abdus Salam, among others.