The failed pilot scheme has fuelled local concern over project planning, security and oversight after repeated thefts left publicly funded irrigation infrastructure abandoned before farmers could benefit.
A solar-powered irrigation project worth nearly Tk 4.28 million in Bangladesh’s Pabna district has become unusable before it could begin operating after key equipment, including solar panels, batteries and electrical cables, was stolen, raising questions over the use of public funds.
The Barind Multipurpose Development Authority (BMDA), a government agency responsible for irrigation and agricultural development, began installing two solar-powered irrigation pumps in Lakshmipur village of Atgharia upazila under the Ichamati River restoration project on Nov. 28, 2023. Installation was completed on May 28, 2024.
However, the pumps became inoperable before they could be commissioned. The same situation has affected another two solar-powered irrigation pumps installed in the nearby Sripur area along the banks of the Ichamati River.
Local farmers said the project had been questioned from the outset because of its location. They argued that installing the pumps in an area where vegetables are cultivated, rather than in paddy fields, would have benefited more farmers. The subsequent theft of equipment has left the entire initiative at a standstill.
According to available information, BMDA implemented the pilot solar-powered irrigation project at a cost of about Tk 4.284 million to assess the feasibility of using surface water from the Ichamati River for agricultural irrigation. Before the project could be launched, however, solar panels, batteries, electrical cables and other valuable equipment were stolen.
The theft and the project’s failure to become operational have prompted local residents to question whether public funds were used properly. The project, which was intended to ensure irrigation facilities for farmers, has now become an abandoned installation. Local farmers have called for a prompt investigation, the identification of those responsible and the project’s restoration.
Local farmer Abul Kashem said, “The cables were stolen, they installed them again and they were stolen again. We are struggling to irrigate our fields. Farmers would have benefited more if the pumps had been installed in an area where vegetables are grown instead of paddy fields.”
Farmer Akkas Ali said, “Almost everything had been completed. We knew only the cables needed to be connected. But before they could be connected, the cables were stolen. After that everything came to an end. With no monitoring, almost all the equipment has gradually been stolen.”
Another farmer, Manik Hossain, said, “The pump had only just been started, but we never got the opportunity to use it for cultivation. If it had become operational, we would have had the benefit of irrigating our fields.”
The project’s contractor, Ruhul Hossain, said, “I have suffered losses because cables and equipment were stolen twice, and part of my payment is still outstanding. I compensated for the first theft. I have now learned there has been another theft. It is no longer possible for me to bear the cost of compensation.”
Saifunnahar, executive engineer of the Barind Multipurpose Development Authority in Pabna, said, “We have learned that equipment has been stolen from two irrigation pumps operated by the Barind Multipurpose Development Authority. The matter is being treated seriously and necessary steps will be taken.”
This report was republished from Ajker Patrika.
