A government initiative under the Rajshahi Division Agricultural Development Project is transforming agriculture in Bangladesh’s drought-prone Barind region by introducing 32 solar-powered irrigation pumps across eight districts over the past two years. Implemented jointly by the Barind Multipurpose Development Authority (BMDA) and the Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE)—and scheduled to conclude in June 2027—the project directly benefits 3,200 farmers across 67 upazilas by reducing irrigation costs to near-zero, curbing reliance on diesel and the electricity grid, and increasing cropping intensity by approximately 50 percent.
The initiative spans three categories: 24 fixed solar irrigation plants (2-horsepower each), 8 portable units for flexible movement between fields and orchards, and 10 precision solar irrigation units combining solar power with drip irrigation for modern one-acre orchard management. Beneficiary farmers like Mohammad Alamgir Hossain from Chapainawabganj Sadar and local officials such as Paba Upazila agriculture officer Mohammad Abdul Mannan and project director S. M. Hasanuzzaman noted that the technology mitigates water scarcity, eliminates diesel shortages, and enables the cultivation of previously fallow lands to produce up to three rice crops annually.
— Daily Best News Desk • Fearless in the search for truth
Reported by Rajshahi Bureau • Edited by the Daily Best News desk. Send corrections to [email protected].
