Bangladesh has approved the long-discussed Padma Barrage Project to address the country's worsening water crisis caused by reduced flow from the Ganges, known locally as the Padma. The Executive Committee of the National Economic Council has given final approval to the project, with an estimated cost of Tk 50,443.64 crore. The government has allocated Tk 34,497.25 crore for the first phase. Water Resources Minister Shahiduddin Chowdhury Anwar stated that there is no need for discussions with India regarding this project, which aims to store about 2,900 million cubic meters of water in the Padma River.

The project seeks to revive five rivers—Hisna-Mathabhanga, Gorai-Madhumati, Chandana-Barasia, Baral, and Ichamati—by supplying around 800 cubic meters of water per second during the dry season. It is expected to benefit nearly 2.9 million hectares of farmland across southwestern Bangladesh and generate 113 megawatts of hydroelectric power. Experts believe the barrage will help mitigate salinity and waterlogging in the Sundarbans region.

Analysts note that India’s water diversion through the Farakka Barrage has long reduced Bangladesh’s river flow. The new project is seen as a strategic response to safeguard national water resources and agricultural productivity.