Govt upbeat about raising power supply for irrigation
Friday, 21 November 2008
FE Report
The government is upbeat about augmenting electricity generation in the upcoming irrigation season to meet the mounting demands across the country as a number of new plants are getting ready, officials said Thursday.
"A number of new power plants including some rental and small independent power plants will start electricity supply before the irrigation season starts in January next," Power Secretary M Fauzul Kabir Khan told the FE.
He said the power ministry has taken necessary steps to ensure smooth electricity supply from the power plants during the irrigation period.
The power generation during the peak hours would be 4,000 megawatts (MW)-4,200 MW and during off-peak hours 3,700 MW-3800 MW.
Currently the electricity generation across the country is hovering around 3500 MW.
The load of electricity for the irrigation purpose would be around 1,000 MW daily in the forthcoming irrigation season during January-March, when hundreds of thousands of pumps will remain operational across the country.
As the irrigation pumps would run during off-peak hours, the overall additional demand for electricity would be around 500 MW, said the power division officials.
Electricity generation from Barapukuria, Baghabari and Khulna power plants that supply power to the country's prospective arable lands in the northern region would be crucial for proper irrigation.
Rajshahi, Rangpur, Dinajpur and Mymensingh are the country's prominent areas for irrigation, the power secretary said.
The country's coal deposit is now as high as 200,000 tonnes, which is more than sufficient to run the Barapukuria coal-fired power plants for several months at a stretch, said a senior ministry official.
Besides, Baghabari and Khulna power plants have been readied to function smoothly after proper overhauling and maintenance work, the official said.
Electricity supply for running irrigation pumps would be ensured through about 247,000 connections this year, seven per cent higher than that of the previous year.
An inter-ministerial meeting was also held at the power division Thursday to ensure sufficient electricity supply during the coming irrigation season.
About 250,000 irrigation pumps -- shallow, deep and low-leap - would be operational during the upcoming irrigation season when around 4.6 million hectares of lands would be cultivated across the country.
Of the total irrigation lands, 41 per cent were in Rajshahi, 30 per cent in Dhaka, 13 per cent in Khulna and the remaining 16 per cent in other parts of the country.
Like the previous years' strategy, irrigation will get priority in electricity supply.
Required electricity would also be diverted to rural areas from urban to ensure adequate electricity for irrigation.
The government is upbeat about augmenting electricity generation in the upcoming irrigation season to meet the mounting demands across the country as a number of new plants are getting ready, officials said Thursday.
"A number of new power plants including some rental and small independent power plants will start electricity supply before the irrigation season starts in January next," Power Secretary M Fauzul Kabir Khan told the FE.
He said the power ministry has taken necessary steps to ensure smooth electricity supply from the power plants during the irrigation period.
The power generation during the peak hours would be 4,000 megawatts (MW)-4,200 MW and during off-peak hours 3,700 MW-3800 MW.
Currently the electricity generation across the country is hovering around 3500 MW.
The load of electricity for the irrigation purpose would be around 1,000 MW daily in the forthcoming irrigation season during January-March, when hundreds of thousands of pumps will remain operational across the country.
As the irrigation pumps would run during off-peak hours, the overall additional demand for electricity would be around 500 MW, said the power division officials.
Electricity generation from Barapukuria, Baghabari and Khulna power plants that supply power to the country's prospective arable lands in the northern region would be crucial for proper irrigation.
Rajshahi, Rangpur, Dinajpur and Mymensingh are the country's prominent areas for irrigation, the power secretary said.
The country's coal deposit is now as high as 200,000 tonnes, which is more than sufficient to run the Barapukuria coal-fired power plants for several months at a stretch, said a senior ministry official.
Besides, Baghabari and Khulna power plants have been readied to function smoothly after proper overhauling and maintenance work, the official said.
Electricity supply for running irrigation pumps would be ensured through about 247,000 connections this year, seven per cent higher than that of the previous year.
An inter-ministerial meeting was also held at the power division Thursday to ensure sufficient electricity supply during the coming irrigation season.
About 250,000 irrigation pumps -- shallow, deep and low-leap - would be operational during the upcoming irrigation season when around 4.6 million hectares of lands would be cultivated across the country.
Of the total irrigation lands, 41 per cent were in Rajshahi, 30 per cent in Dhaka, 13 per cent in Khulna and the remaining 16 per cent in other parts of the country.
Like the previous years' strategy, irrigation will get priority in electricity supply.
Required electricity would also be diverted to rural areas from urban to ensure adequate electricity for irrigation.