With diesel and electricity prices driving up the cost of irrigation, some farmers in Jhenaidah are turning to solar-powered pumps. They irrigate their own land more cheaply and earn extra by selling surplus water to neighbouring farmers.

So far 106 solar irrigation pumps are running in Maheshpur, Kotchandpur and Sadar upazilas: seven of the Bangladesh Agricultural Development Corporation (BADC), 34 of Aid Foundation and 65 of Wave Foundation, with 32 in border Maheshpur alone. The scheme is implemented by the Rural Reconstruction Foundation (RRF) through its SMART project, financed by the World Bank with technical support from the Palli Karma-Sahayak Foundation (PKSF); IDCOL is also backing panels installed by individual farmers.

The strongest response has come from flower growers along the Maheshpur border. Flower farmer Gafur Mia said that since installing a pump he no longer has to worry about fuel or power, and selling the water he saves after irrigating his own field brings good extra income. Sadikul Rahman, from the same area, built a solar irrigation unit with a project loan and grant and now irrigates another 15 bighas around his own land commercially.

In Sadar upazila, farmer Habibur Rahman installed a pump for Tk 1.7 lakh, with a Tk 45,000 cash grant from RRF's SMART project. In Bonkira village, Anisur Rahman put up panels on 10 kathas of land with IDCOL's support, and Bablu and Shahidul Islam said they charge Tk 3,000 a bigha per season to irrigate neighbours' land — cheaper than conventional pumping.

Dr Asit Baran Mondal, senior assistant director of RRF, said irrigating one bigha used to cost Tk 400 to 500 with diesel or grid power and now costs Tk 200 with a solar pump. He said 36 pumps are currently running and more than a hundred more are planned for the district soon.

Sourav Kumar, a BADC engineer in Jhenaidah, said solar-pump users were able to water their fields as needed even during the diesel and power shortages. Power from BADC's panels is also fed into the national grid once farm demand is met, he said.

Source: UNB