More than Tk 30 billion can be saved every year by setting up solar irrigation pumps (SIPs) across the country replacing those with the costly diesel oil and electricity-run ones, sources said.
According to Bangladesh Agriculture Development Corporation (BADC), 85.30 per cent of the total irrigation pumps in the country are diesel-run which consume 1.10 billion litres of diesel every year that cost Tk 30 billion.
BADC sources said apart from diesel-operated pumps, 1,300 megawatt (mw) power is also used to operate irrigation pumps that account for 14.7 per cent of the total number.
With an aim to replace the oil and electricity-operated irrigation pumps Bangladesh Solar and Renewable Energy Association (BSREA) has submitted a proposal to the ministry of power, energy and mineral resources (MoPEMR) and ministry of agriculture (MoA).
The BSREA has proposed for installing 18,000 SIPs initially to replace the existing old, faulty and inoperative oil-operated irrigation pumps.
As per the proposal, in the off-grid zones oil is the only source for irrigation pumps that costs high and creates an economic burden to the farmers.
SIPs can supply water without using oil and thus there will be no problem even for load shedding or for the pumps being in the off-grid zones.
The BSREA in its proposal said SIPs require initial investment and only with negligible repair and maintenance SIPs can continuously supply water in the fields for 30 years.
The solar power technology could be the renewable low cost, uninterrupted and pollution-free source of fuelling the irrigation pumps in the coming days, the BSREA in the proposal said.
It said SIPs will also trim down farmers' reliance on highly subsidised imported diesel.
Currently the BADC and the Department of Agriculture Extension (DAE) have 20,000 rental diesel-run pumps in their areas and the BSREA proposal says those could be replaced by SIPs.
In the summer season terrible load shedding hampers irrigation activities and expected food production in the off-grid areas is also hampered.
As per the BADC estimation currently a total of 1,549,149 shallow tube wells are being operated throughout the country.
