Bangladesh has been striving to popularize solar irrigation pumps as a sustainable alternative to diesel-based pumps, but progress has been slow, with only 4,000 such pumps installed in the last 13 years. The Infrastructure Development Company Limited (IDCOL) aimed to install close to 19,000 pumps between 2011 and 2016 but faced challenges due to inadequate bank guarantees and financial resources.
Despite setting revised targets over the years, the IDCOL has struggled to achieve its goals. The lack of bank guarantees and funding has been a major hurdle. Each solar pump costs around Tk45,000, with IDCOL covering 35% of the cost and the rest covered by bank guarantees and farmers themselves.
The transition to solar pumps is crucial as Bangladesh currently relies heavily on diesel-based pumps, requiring around 4 lakh tonnes of diesel annually, costing Tk25,600 crore. The move to solar pumps could significantly reduce diesel consumption and carbon emissions.
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