Zakir Azad, Cumilla

At Brahmanpara in Cumilla , farmers are benefiting from being able to irrigate their crops through solar powered irrigation pumps. With the help of this irrigation pump, they can give water to the land at half the cost of diesel and electric pumps. They are saving more than half of the irrigation cost.

On Wednesday afternoon, Brahmanpara Upazila Executive Officer (UNO) SM Azharul Islam inspected the irrigation pump project in Chandipur area of Malapara Union of Upazila. At this time BADC assistant engineer said. Naeem Sourav was present.

It is known that there are two irrigation pumps under Bangladesh Agricultural Development Corporation (BADC) in this upazila. There are two pumps in Malapara Union and Madhavpur Union of the upazila. There are 40 acres of cropland under these two pumps. This pump runs from sunrise to sunset. However, if the sky is overcast and there is a storm or if the face of the sun is not visible due to any natural disaster, the operation of the pump is stopped.

Farmers Lokman, Gonu Mia and Dobirul Islam of Jiruin area of Sahebabad Union of Upazila said that they got irrigation water at the rate of Tk 45 per cent of land in Boro Abad with electricity and diesel powered pumps. But if they get water from solar pump, the cost of boro plantation would be much less. They strongly demanded to bring their crop fields under solar irrigation.

Shariful Islam, a farmer of Chandipur area of Malapara union of the upazila, said, "I cultivated 63 hundred acres of land during the Boro season with the water obtained through the solar pump. Solar pumps are less expensive than electric and diesel powered pumps. In this I have benefited from the cost of irrigation in boro plantation.

Deputy Assistant Engineer of BADC. Naeem Sourav said, 'Bangladesh Agricultural Development Corporation (BADC), Irrigation Department has undertaken various activities to reduce the cost of irrigation in agriculture and to get irrigation facilities easily. In continuation of this, a solar LLP irrigation pump with a capacity of 01 cusec has been installed in Madhavpur union of Brahmanpara upazila, Shaitshala Mauza and an LLP solar irrigation pump with a capacity of 0.5 cusec in Chandipur Mauza of Malapara union. 30 540 watt solar panels are used to drive each 01 cusec capacity solar irrigation pump which provides a total power of 16.2 KW to drive the pump motor. '

He also said, 'As a result of installing solar pumps and constructing underground irrigation canals, on the one hand, the irrigation cost of the farmers has been reduced by almost half, on the other hand, the wastage of the farmers' land has been prevented. 40 acres of land is brought under cultivation through each 01 cusec of solar LLP irrigation system.

Upazila Agriculture Officer Agriculturist Md. Masud Rana said, 'Solar irrigation pump is a farmer-friendly project. There is no alternative to solar irrigation pumps to free agriculture from the impact of price and availability of electricity, diesel and other fossil fuels. It is economical to farmers as well as environment friendly. This will prevent environmental pollution. Although the initial cost of setting up solar irrigation pumps is a little high, farmers can get permanent and long-term benefits from solar pumps.

Brahmanpara Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO) SM Azharul Islam said, 'Solar irrigation pump is a farmer-friendly project. This reduces the cost of the farmer in the cultivation of crops. There is no environmental pollution. Two such projects are ongoing in Malapara and Madhavpur of the upazila. Subject to finding suitable places and possibilities, the process of implementation of some more such projects is going on.