Mini Pond: A Way for Supplementary Irrigation in Drought Prone Areas
Dr. Abu WaliRaghib Hassan, Consultant, DAE, Khamarbari, Dhaka, Bangladesh
Dwipendra Chandra Sarker, Agriculturist,Dhaka, Bangladesh
Mini pond is a popular adaptation option to climate change in drought-prone area in north-western part of Bangladesh. Irrigating with the water harvested in the mini pond, farmers can save ripen T. Aman rice in October and in addition, can produce vegetables on the bank of the pond, make culture of quick growing fish and rear duck in pond water. Excavating mini pond of size 10 m X 10m X 2.5 m at a lower level corner of about 1 acre crop land, a suitable drainage system is developed for run-off of rain water to the pond. With low lift pump/ dawn/sauti, irrigating water from mini pond to adjacent rice crop land through plastic pipe for reducing water loss, farmer can increase rice yield at the rate of 338 kg/acre. Besides, farmers can bath in the pond, cattle can drink water during season; toad and vermi can get environment to multiply resulting in increasing biodiversity.