"Being an agro-based country, we are totally dependent on groundwater for the national development," the speakers said mentioning that over 80 percent of irrigation water is procured from groundwater reserve.

Organised by the Directorate of Continuing Education (DCE) of Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (BUET), the workshop on 'Groundwater management' was addressed by DCE Director Dr M Imtiaz Hossain, Dr M Ashraf Ali and Dr M Mirzahan of the Department of Water Resources Engineering.

The speakers said the poverty alleviation goal could not be achieved unless we achieve self-sufficiency in food, which depends on successful management of groundwater resource.

"Although the ground water has not yet been a constraint for irrigation the quality hazard might become a major concern in the coming days if proper steps are belated," they added.

Dr Ashraf Ali in his keynote paper expressed concern over arsenic contamination, especially presence of arsenic in the irrigation water and its contamination in rice, vegetables and other foods.

For overcoming this situation, he laid emphasis on alternative sources of water such as deep tubewell, dug well, pond, sand filter and rainwater harvesting.