Diesel crisis halts irrigation in Rangpur

A major crisis has arisen in Boro paddy cultivation in the Rangpur region due to a sudden severe diesel shortage. Most of the irrigation pumps have shut down due to lack of fuel, so water cannot be supplied to the land on time. As a result, paddy fields are bursting and becoming waterlogged in many places. This is increasing the risk of crop damage.

The Agriculture Department said that if irrigation is not possible on time, production may be severely disrupted. Rangpur Deputy Commissioner Mohammad Ruhul Amin said that initiatives will be taken to increase diesel supply quickly to deal with the situation.

It was seen during a visit to various areas of Gangachara Upazila that most of the irrigation pumps are out of service due to lack of diesel on Saturday (April 11). Farmers are not getting enough fuel even after waiting for hours at the filling station. In many cases, more than two to three liters of diesel are not being supplied at a time, which makes it impossible to irrigate for a long time.

Local farmers said that regular irrigation is very important for Boro paddy. But the land is drying up quickly due to lack of fuel. Diesel was easily available earlier, but now it is extremely difficult to get it.

Farmer Abdul Malek of Gangachara said that if water is not provided at the right time, the entire crop will be ruined. Another farmer, Sattar Mia, complained that sometimes when they go to get diesel in bottles, it is not provided; instead, they are required to bring irrigation equipment, which is expensive and difficult for them.

In an effort to protect the crop, some people are going to the pump with shallow machines, which increases both time and cost.

According to the Agriculture Department, about 132,410 hectares of land in Rangpur district have been planted with boro this season. Farmer leaders fear that if irrigation is not provided on time, the yield may be reduced by half.

Farmer workers' council leader Anwar Hossain Bablu blamed the government's weak monitoring for this crisis. He claimed that some unscrupulous traders are creating an artificial crisis.

He warned that there could be a risk of food shortage if a solution is not found soon.

Meanwhile, the electric irrigation system is also not becoming reliable. It is also being disrupted due to frequent load shedding. As a result, farmers are facing double problems.

The administration says that this crisis has arisen due to the impact of the global energy situation. However, efforts are being made to take special measures to help farmers, including increasing supply quickly.