Power crisis to increase boro production cost

Farmers in three unions of Jaldhaka upazila may face increased boro production cost this year as three deep tubewells of Barind Multipurpose Development Authority (BMDA) are yet to get power connection from Rural Electrification Board (REB).

Farmers in Dhormopal, Shimulbari and Golmunda unions may not be able to irrigate their land if the three deep tubewells do not get connection.

Abu Bakkar Siddique, manager-cum-operator of a deep tubewell at Dhormopal union, said none of the 200 farmers in his group could transplant saplings due to lack of water.

Faruk Hossain of Dhormopal village said his paddy saplings are lying in the seedbed as he could not transplant those within one month of sowing the seeds.

Farmers said if they could irrigate from deep tubewells, their expenditure would be only Tk 1,000 per bigha, but the cost would be around Tk 2,200 to Tk 2,500 for diesel-run shallow machines.

Assistant Engineer of BMDC in Nilphamari zone Alamgir Md Ruhul Islam said they have set up electric poles, strung a connection line with metallic wire and completed wiring of the machine rooms, and were waiting for connection from REB.

General Manager of REB in Nilphamari SM Hasanat Hasan said they had stopped giving  connection to new irrigation power pumps as their old transmission lines and grids are overloaded.

"However, we have decided to give connection to three BMDA-owned deep tubewells this year on special consideration," the GM added.