Photo: BSS

By Md Mamun Islam 
 
RANGPUR, Sept 4, 2026 (BSS) - Installation of a new 132/33 kV power supply grid substation in Roumari upazila or nearby area can solve the prevailing low voltage trouble to run low-lift pumps (LLPs) for smooth irrigation to produce 6,300 tonnes of additional paddy worth Taka 22-crore annually.
 
In the Roumari and Rajibpur upazilas of Kurigram, most of the irrigation machines (shallow tube wells) have been diesel-powered for a long time. 
 
So the irrigation cost of farmers is relatively very high and for paddy cultivation it is up to Taka 6,000 per bigha.
 
To reduce the crop production cost of farmers, modernize the irrigation system, make agriculture sustainable and revolutionize rice production, Barind Multipurpose Development Authority (BMDA) has installed 36 LLPs there in the last three years.
 
In addition, 29-km of 11 kV power supply lines, 1.5 kilometers of uPVC underground pipelines and prepaid meters have been installed to increase the efficiency of irrigation management, provide moderate, planned irrigation and prevent water wastage.
 
As a result, the 36 LLP schemes have created an opportunity to reduce the cost of irrigation for farmers and make agricultural activities more profitable and sustainable and expand modern electricity-powered irrigation systems. 
 
However, the LLP schemes are not operating at the expected capacity due to continuous voltage drop for the long 90-km distance from the Jamalpur grid substation that supplies power to Roumari upazila.
 
As a result, the benefits of the huge government investment of around Taka five crore in setting up these facilities by BMDA are not properly reaching the farmers' level.
 
Talking to BSS, Deputy General Manager at Roumari Zonal Office of Jamalpur Palli Bidyut Samity of Rural Electrification Board Engineer Delwar Hossain said the power supply system in Roumari and Rajibpur upazilas is mainly dependent on Jamalpur grid. 
 
"Since the distance from Roumari to Jamalpur grid substation is 90 km and Rajibpur to Dewanganj grid substation is 70 km, significant voltage drop is being created in the long distance distribution lines," he said. 
 
The long distant distribution lines from remote Jamalpur and Dewanganj grid substations are causing voltage drops, negatively impacting the BMDA's 36 LLP irrigation schemes.
 
"The higher authorities are considering setting up another 132/33kV grid substation in Bakshiganj upazila of Jamalpur, 40 kilometers away from Roumari and Rajibpur upazilas to resolve the low voltage problem," said Engineer Hossain. 

Rangpur Circle Superintending Engineer of BMDA Engineer Md Habibur Rahman Khan told BSS that most of the local people's livelihoods depend on agriculture in Roumari and Rajibpur upazilas separated from the mainland of Kurigram district by the Brahmaputra.
 
Agricultural production is mainly dependent on irrigation in these two upazilas where most of the irrigation machines are diesel-powered, and the cost of irrigation is very high.
 
"We have established 36 LLPs, 29-km of 11 kV power supply lines, 1.5 kilometers of uPVC buried pipelines and prepaid meters to increase the efficiency of irrigation management and planned irrigation and prevent water wastage," he said.
 
However, currently, the activities of these LLP irrigation schemes are being hampered due to low voltage and frequent load-shedding. 
 
He said that before the introduction of the electricity-run LLP irrigation facilities through buried pipe system, farmers had to spend Taka 6,000 to irrigate one bigha of land through diesel-powered irrigation machines. 
 
Currently, the cost of irrigating one bigha of land through the power-run LLP scheme of BMDA is only Taka 1,200 to Taka 1,500. 
 
"The cost of irrigation per bigha has decreased by Taka 4,500 to Taka 4,800 or about 75 percent on average, creating an opportunity to make crop production more profitable," Engineer Khan said. 
 
Each LLP scheme provides irrigation facilities to 35 hectares of land. The total irrigation area under the 36 LLP schemes is 1,260 hectares. 
 
"If the low voltage problem is resolved and 36 LLP schemes run smoothly, 6,300 metric tonnes of additional paddy worth Taka 22 crore will be produced from 1,260 hectares of irrigated land in these upazilas annually," Engineer Khan said.
 
Talking to BSS, local farmers of various villages of Roumari and Rajibpur upazilas expressed their great interest in the low-cost electricity-powered irrigation system using LLPs. 
 
"Due to lack of required voltage, we are not able to run the LLPs at the specified capacity and failing to water the Aman paddy fields now on time," said farmer Zahid Hossain of village Goytapara in Roumari upazila. 
 
Farmer Abdul Matin of village Shoulmari said, "It is more profitable to cultivate rice and other crops with four to five times cheaper irrigation water drawn from rivers using LLPs than with groundwater extracted through diesel-powered shallow tube wells."
 
The farmers urged the government to resolve the low voltage trouble that puts stress on the pump-motors to save them from going back to expensive diesel-powered shallow machines again for irrigation.