The New Nation - Internet Edition

Shamim Jahangir

Farmers will have to spend over Tk 764 crore for irrigation purpose during the ongoing Boro season, the Agriculture Ministry sources said.

Over dependency on ground water is the main reason to spend the huge amount of the money, Bangladesh Agriculture Development Corporation (BADC) sources said.

The government has targeted 58,07,403 hectares of land under Boro cultivation this fiscal. For irrigation purpose of these said boro land, the farmers will have to use 13,25,067 diesel run irrigation pumps included 3,284 deep tube-wells, 11,89,165 shallow tube-wells, 1,32,353 power pumps and 265 large surface irrigation projects for irrigation in their field.

For running these diesel-run pumps, the farmers will use 119,87,26,578 litres of diesel. The farmers will spend Tk 551.42 crore for this diesel purposes, a senior official of Agriculture Ministry said.

On the other hands the growers will use 2,21,535 electricity run irrigation pumps included 28,079 deep tube-wells, 1,83,408 shallow tube-wells, 9,988 power pumps and 104 large surface irrigation projects for irrigation in their filed.

Besides the growers will use 89,73,61,445 kilowatts of electricity for using 2,21,535 electricity run irrigation pumps and spend Tk 212.58 crore in this regard.

According to Bangladesh Agriculture Development Corporation (BADC) sources, farmers have spent Tk 5,500 to Tk 6,000 for per hectares for irrigation purpose of their Boro land last year. It was Tk 4,500 to Tk 5,000 before five years ago.

Over dependency on grand water is the main reason to increase the cost of the Boro land, former Additional Chief Eng of BADC Kazi Muzammel Hoque told the New Nation yesterday.

He said, " A total of 79 per cent irrigation came from groundwater and rest of 21 per cent from surface water in last Boro season. It was only 30 per cent from groundwater in 1970." He suggested the government to dredge pond and rivers before rainy season.

He said that it could be possible to reduce the irrigation cost by holding on the rivers and ponds water in dry season.

Earlier, the government declared to provide cash subsidy Tk 540 crore to encourage farmers during the Boro irrigation farmers.