BADC to install 145 irrigation pumps in Sylhet for Rabi crops

SYLHET, Dec 12: With a view to providing irrigation facilities, a total of 145 schemes of Low Lift Pumps (LLP) under the minor irrigation development programme would be put on operation this season for producing winter crops including Boro paddy in Sylhet district.

Besides, some seven deep tubewells would be on operation, official sources informed.

They said irrigation schemes will help produce about 15,000 tonnes of paddy, as 4,000 hectares of land would get irrigation.

The Bangladesh Agricultural Development Corporation (BADC), irrigation has implemented the programme in different areas including some less-developed areas of different upazilas in the district.

Two solar deep tubewells would cover some 50 hectares of land while five normal deep tubewells would cover another 100 hectares.

The farmers will collect water from the nearby Surma river, canals and other sources through power pumps for irrigating the Boro lands through pucca drains, the official informed already required electricity lines are erected through PDB or the Sylhet Palli Biddut Samity.

However, in some of the irrigation schemes, the farmers have arranged drains. Highest 250 farmers will be benefited in each of the projects, the official informed, at least 4,000 hectares of land will get the facilities directly.

Talking to this correspondent, members of different farmers' group said it is a great opportunity for them.

The huge croplands had remained arable during the dry season for ages mainly due to lack of water sources. Now we are able to irrigate those for Boro paddy mainly, in addition to other Rabi crops, they added.

Assistant engineer of BADC, Sylhet, Rubaiyet Faisal Al Masum said the small irrigation schemes had brought major change on the agriculture on the area, which had long been far behind in farming due to absence of water for Boro paddy and other winter crops.

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