Construction of rubber dam on Atrai begins
Construction of a rubber dam on Atrai river in Dinajpur began yesterday. Local lawmaker Iqbalur Rahim laid the foundation stone at the site.Photo: STAR
Country's largest rubber dam construction on Atrai River in Sadar upazila got underway yesterday. The dam will facilitate irrigation by farmers in several upazilas of the district especially in dry season. Local lawmaker Iqbalur Rahim inaugurated the construction work as chief guest at the project site, about 18km away from the district town. Md. Jamal Uddin Ahmed, deputy commissioner of Dinajpur, Moinul Islam, police superintendent, Dr. Molla Hasan Mahmud, UNO of Dinajpur Sadar and Chitta Ghosh, president of Dinajpur Press Club, were present as special guests. The rubber dam on the Atrai River will be 135 metres in length and 4 metres in height. It will be the largest water reservoir in the country, officials said. The dam is being built with an aim to use surface water instead of underground water for irrigation, said the officials of Local Government Engineering Department and Department of Agriculture in Dinajpur. "Once the construction work is complete, at least 2,000 hectares of agricultural land under five union parishads of two upazilas of the district can be irrigated during the dry season with the water from the reservoir," said an official. Rice production would rise by 3,500 metric tonnes during the dry season, according to the project plan. Five union parishads in Sadar upazila -- Sheikhpura, Fazilpur, Sasra, Uthrail and Shankarpur -- and four in Chirirbandar upazila -- Saitara, Abdulpur, Bhiyail and Auliyapur will enjoy facilities while at least 2316 families of these areas will be benefited. The construction work is expected to be completed in four months at a cost of Tk 15,54,36,436, officials said. The project will also create employment opportunities for local people including fishermen as 44km-long-area by the Atrai river will be used as fish farming zone, they said at the inaugural function. Besides, the winter farming rate will rise to 131 per cent from 78 per cent because of the water reservoir facilities.
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