Challenge fund on “Use of Surface Water for Irrigation” launched

The Access to Information (a2i) Programme of the Prime Minister's office today formed a 'Challenge Fund on Use of Surface Water for Irrigation' for providing financial and technical assistance to innovative solutions to use surface water for irrigation.

The Access to Information (a2i) Programme and the Ministry of Agriculture, represented by the Bangladesh Agriculture Development Corporation (BADC) and the Barind Multipurpose Development Authority (BMDA), jointly organised the launching ceremony for the Challenge Fund today.

From the Prime Minister’s Office, a2i’s Challenge Fund will provide financial and technical assistance to implement surface water irrigation solutions, according to a press release from the a2i programme.

The BADC and the BMDA from the Ministry of Agriculture will provide necessary technical assistance to the funded projects and then assist the most successful solutions to be transformed into finished products for use by farmers in the designated locations, says the release.

In total, Tk 12.5 million will be awarded to implement five innovative pilots in five different types of locations. Interested applicants can visit Challenge Fund website to know more about the competition and to submit their innovative proposals online within 30 September 2017, it said.  

Additional Secretary for Agriculture Ministry BM Enamul Haque, the Chairman of BADC Md Nasiruzzaman, the Superintendent Engineer of BMDA Md Shamsul Huda and the Director (Innovation) of a2i programme were present at the launching ceremony of the fund.

The event was chaired by the Director General (Admin) of Prime Minister’s Office and the Project Director of the a2i Programme Kabir Bin Anwar.

In Bangladesh, groundwater level on average drops by more than 5 metres every year as we rely more and more on the 5 million tube wells as our source for water. Irrigation alone uses up more than 87% of the total extracted water.

The a2i is looking for innovative solutions to surface water-based irrigation which are applicable to the distinct soil and geographic conditions in Bangladesh, the release adds.