Sylhet Bureau :
A total of 10 solar irrigation units have been installed in four districts of Sylhet Division this year with a target to facilitate Boro farming in remote areas without electricity.
It would enable cultivation of the crop for the first time on over about 200 hectares of land, said officials concerned.
The solar schemes have been set under a special project named ‘Sylhet Division Minor Irrigation Development Project’.
Rubayed Foisal Al-Masum, Assistant Engineer of BADC Sylhet Zone, said Tk 3.5 million had been spent for each of the solar schemes.Visiting the Kholamadhab solar irrigation scheme at remote Gowainghat Upazila, this correspondent last week found that locals were engaged in Boro paddy farming.
President of the Farmers Group of the Irrigation Scheme Md Jamaluddin, also head of the nearby madrasa, said about 120 bighas of land belonging to 100 farmers had already been irrigated while some more would join this season. It would be 100 this year.
However the number of farmers would be about 250 in the coming year raising the covering land to 250 bighas, for Boro farming for the first time, he said.
“We had never thought Boro farming on these lands due to absence of water,” said farmer.
Some other farmers, who were standing around the solar irrigation scheme site, echoed the same. They said at least 2500 maunds of paddy would be produced.
“It is safe from many troubles. It works during sun for 3 to 4 hours although days ago things were hampered due to cloudy weather’, said Mujammil Ali, member of the 20-men farmers group.
He also said they are getting daily about 4 hours’ irrigation. “We had to deposit taka 23,500 yearly in rent to the BADC,” he added.
The farmers group is responsible managing things for keeping the solar unit, said the BADC’s Sub Assistant Engineer Tausiful Haque, working on the scheme site.
He, however, said they would provide technical assistance. Some 150 bighas of land would get the irrigation facilities here, he added.
Of the rest solar units, one was installed in Sylhet sadar upazila’s Meghergaon, two at Derai upazila and two at Sunamganj sadar while two were set up in Habiganj and two in Moulvibazar.
A total of 10 solar irrigation units have been installed in four districts of Sylhet Division this year with a target to facilitate Boro farming in remote areas without electricity.
It would enable cultivation of the crop for the first time on over about 200 hectares of land, said officials concerned.
The solar schemes have been set under a special project named ‘Sylhet Division Minor Irrigation Development Project’.
Rubayed Foisal Al-Masum, Assistant Engineer of BADC Sylhet Zone, said Tk 3.5 million had been spent for each of the solar schemes.Visiting the Kholamadhab solar irrigation scheme at remote Gowainghat Upazila, this correspondent last week found that locals were engaged in Boro paddy farming.
President of the Farmers Group of the Irrigation Scheme Md Jamaluddin, also head of the nearby madrasa, said about 120 bighas of land belonging to 100 farmers had already been irrigated while some more would join this season. It would be 100 this year.
However the number of farmers would be about 250 in the coming year raising the covering land to 250 bighas, for Boro farming for the first time, he said.
“We had never thought Boro farming on these lands due to absence of water,” said farmer.
Some other farmers, who were standing around the solar irrigation scheme site, echoed the same. They said at least 2500 maunds of paddy would be produced.
“It is safe from many troubles. It works during sun for 3 to 4 hours although days ago things were hampered due to cloudy weather’, said Mujammil Ali, member of the 20-men farmers group.
He also said they are getting daily about 4 hours’ irrigation. “We had to deposit taka 23,500 yearly in rent to the BADC,” he added.
The farmers group is responsible managing things for keeping the solar unit, said the BADC’s Sub Assistant Engineer Tausiful Haque, working on the scheme site.
He, however, said they would provide technical assistance. Some 150 bighas of land would get the irrigation facilities here, he added.
Of the rest solar units, one was installed in Sylhet sadar upazila’s Meghergaon, two at Derai upazila and two at Sunamganj sadar while two were set up in Habiganj and two in Moulvibazar.
