Water Resources Minister Md. Shahiduddin Chowdhury Anee informed Parliament that the government is implementing plans to increase the use of alternative water sources to reduce dependence on groundwater. Replying to a starred question from Khairul Kabir Khokon (Narsingdi-1), the minister said initiatives have been undertaken to identify water-stressed areas, carry out aquifer mapping, and determine groundwater reserves, water quality, and safe extraction limits using modern technologies.
Nationwide Programme for Water Bodies
The government is also implementing a nationwide programme to excavate and re-excavate 20,000 kilometres of rivers, canals, and other water bodies. Anee stated that once these initiatives are fully implemented, dependence on groundwater extraction will be reduced significantly.
Water-Stressed Areas Identified
Due to excessive groundwater extraction and the continuous decline in groundwater levels, the Executive Committee of the National Water Resources Council (ECNWRC) declared 153 unions out of 215 unions in 25 upazilas of Chapainawabganj, Naogaon, and Rajshahi districts as water-stressed areas through a gazette notification issued on January 22, 2026. Of these, 47 unions fall under the'very high' category, 40 under the 'high' category, and 66 under the'moderate' category.
Regulating Groundwater Extraction
The relevant agencies have been instructed to adopt short, medium, and long-term plans to regulate groundwater extraction. Measures include restricting the installation of new tube wells except for drinking water purposes, limiting the use of existing tube wells to drinking water supply, gradually phasing out the use of groundwater for irrigation within the next two years through crop diversification, and keeping natural water bodies open for public use.
Hope for Sustainable Water Management
The minister expressed hope that the government's ongoing initiatives would substantially reduce reliance on groundwater and ensure the sustainable management of the country's water resources.
