Geoscience Reference
In-Depth Information
Bangladesh Government claimed that the increased intrusion of sea-water owing to
withdrawals by India at Farakka into the rivers and canals disrupted functioning of
industries.
The increased salinity is totally explicable in the light of the increased withdrawal of the
Ganga water. A large part of the affected region is subject to the tides of the Bay of Bengal.
Historically, this saline intrusion was counteracted by the upland flows. Quite logically, with
a decrease in the upland flows, the salinity increased and advanced
...
inland.
The Special Studies team reviewed the traditional and current salinity data, col-
lected by Bangladesh government and analyzed them to obtain the best assessment
of the extent and causes of damage. It compared salinity intrusion in 1967-1968
with that in 1976 and 1977. Of the five regions of southwest Bangladesh, in
which comparisons were made and which the Bangladesh government claimed
to have been affected by salinity following Farakka withdrawal, the team could
identify only one in the Pussar estuary, from Rupsa-Pussar to the upper Gorai-
Madhumati region which was found to have been affected by increased saline
intrusion. It mentioned that major industries of Khulna are located in the region
and it was there that the increased salinity in the Ganga water was most pro-
nounced on the industries. Higher velocity of water there maintained a steep
salinity gradient which, in normal years, kept salinity relatively low, adjacent
to Khulna. Industrial water offtake there could, therefore, be operated, without
difficulty before diversion. A small change in the Gorai flow in 1976 dra-
matically reduced salinity in this sensitive stretch for Bangladesh's industrial
production.
Because of rise in salinity, the power station, paper mills, jute processors etc.
in Khulna could not use highly saline water, or incurred damage by using it.
Bangladesh government said, high salinity caused industrial losses, from December
1975 to June 1976, to almost 120 million taka, (or then 8 million US dollar). Major
losses (39 million taka) were reported from Goalpara Power Station which had to
use more chemicals and spend more (18 million taka) on hauling sweet water for
the jute mills in Khulna, owing to power failures. Chalna Port authority incurred a
whopping loss of 50 million taka to change design because of salinity intrusion. The
team, however, mentioned that there might be serious consequences on industries
owing to unexpectedly high salt content in cooling, or processing, of water. The
estimated loss of 120 million taka was perhaps inflated, but some damage indeed
took place because of increases in salinity, due perhaps to diversion of water to the
Bhagirathi-Hooghly at Farakka.
On the effects of diversion on 'agriculture and forestry', Mr. Crow analyzed three
documents, mentioned before. Agriculture accounted for 56% of the gross domestic
product (GDP) of Bangladesh, of which rice alone contributed 30%. Jute contributed
77% of the value of commodity exports and forest-based industries contributed 5%
of the GDP. In southwest, most wood came from the Sundarbans, a large mangrove
forest and swamp, where the main flora was Sundari trees which thrive in mildly
saline water.
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