Solar-powered tube wells are being used to irrigate boro paddy fields in Narail Sadar upazila. They have cut village farmers' irrigation costs and secured their water supply, so they no longer worry about diesel or electricity. The farmers are pleased to get as much water as they need at low cost.

Farmers said deep tube wells running on solar panels have been installed in two beels of the upazila's Tularampur union with the help of the agriculture office. Many were doubtful at first, but now everyone is benefiting.

According to the upazila office of the Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE), the solar-powered irrigation pumps (shallow tube wells) were installed in two beels of Tularampur union under the Climate Smart Agriculture and Water Management Project. The pumps can lift 800,000 litres of water in 16 hours a day. Irrigating every three days in the boro season, they can water 50–60 bighas depending on the soil.

Those involved said the solar power saves 88 units of electricity and 24 litres of diesel every 16 hours, which plays an important part in reducing farmers' costs. In the long run, it is a big step towards environmentally friendly and sustainable farming.

On the ground, there is no water shortage in the area this boro season. Water flows continuously, and green rice seedlings sway in the wind across the fields. On some plots, irrigation is being used to prepare jute seedbeds. Farmers said the regular water supply is also keeping the land fertile.

Kaidul Biswas of Chachra village said: "Thanks to the solar pump we can irrigate our boro crop at low cost. We don't have to queue at the filling station for diesel. Elsewhere in the boro season farmers are worried about irrigation, but we have no worries."

Farmers said many people in the area can now irrigate easily with the solar pumps. Besides rice, jute and vegetables are also being irrigated, and a solar pump pays many times better than a shallow machine.

Bibek Kumar of Mitna village said: "Many people are giving up Tk 700 worth of work to stand in long queues at the filling station for Tk 200 of diesel to save their rice. A litre of fuel costs Tk 200, and even then we don't get it on time. Irrigating boro with the solar pump, we have no worries. Everything comes from sunlight. No electricity is needed, no oil is needed. Our demand to the government is that solar pumps like this be installed in every field for farmers, so that no one has to sit at the filling station with a bottle."

DAE deputy director Md Arifur Rahman said: "Solar-powered irrigation is playing an effective role in tackling the fuel crisis. The two solar pumps installed under this project are now run jointly by the farmers."

He said: "At present about 60 bighas can be irrigated every 2–3 days. In the current situation this is a timely initiative. If such systems can be expanded, farmers' production costs will fall and they will benefit."

Source: Jagonews24. First published in Bengali on The Agro News.