Energy & Power

Cover Report

Other Side of Irrigation
Sagar Sarowar

It is not long since modernism touched agriculture in Bangladesh. Agriculture starts to depend on irrigation to grow high yielding variety of paddy to meet the increasing demand of foodgrain. Though it had started in 1970s, it actually spread out in the middle of 80s. Now one cannot imagine cultivation of paddy without irrigation, specially the cultivation of Boro is fully dependent on irrigation. Still a large number of irrigation pumps are run by diesel and the rest by electricity. Though experiments have been going on to run pumps by solar for last several decades, they have not yet started commercially.

One and a half decades ago when there was no shortage of power, there was no interruption in the supply of diesel and electricity in the season of irrigation especially in winter to cultivate Boro.

In 1996 when the country faced a huge shortage of electricity, the then government gave the priority to supply power for irrigation in the rural area. For a few years the farmers did not face obstacles in the irrigation season because of rise of power generation and uninterrupted diesel supply.

But during the last two years of BNP-Jamaat coalition government farmers suffered for diesel, power and fertilizer. All the three depend on adequate supply of energy. Diesel is our imported commodity. If there is any problem in the import and distribution, the price increases in the field level. Smuggling is another big problem as the price of diesel is higher in neighboring India than that of Bangladesh.

Our power generation depends on gas. On the other hand, gas is the main raw material to produce urea fertilizer that is the most essential thing in this season. As a result, the people involved in management of diesel, power and fertilizer fall in perplexing situation in the season of irrigation.

If the total gas is supplied for power generation, the fertilizer production suffers. On the other hand, imported diesel is sold at lower price than purchasing price, which is a problem also. Besides, the demand of power increases about 1000 MW, for irrigation by this time. Most of the generation is required for the northern part of Bangladesh. So it is a big challenge for the government to continue the limited power generation in the northern region. The government has taken as a big challenge to run the Barapukuria power plant in full swing. So far it is successful.

For the current season, irrigation started in different parts of the country including in northern region. According to the government survey, about 5,000,000 hectares of land has been brought under Boro cultivation. There is a plan to use about 1,400,000 pumps for irrigation to meet the demand. Of the pumps, 1,180,860 are run by diesel and 222,746 by electricity. The December-April period is considered as the season for irrigation. So the farmers demand uninterrupted supply of diesel and power for this five-month period.

The government has taken multifaceted steps to give uninterrupted supply of power and diesel to the farmers. More than 75 percent of pumps are run by diesel and in 2006-07 over 3,200,000 hectares of land have been irrigated by the diesel-run pumps. This year irrigation will take place in 5,000,000 hectares of land.

The irrigation cost for diesel pump is much higher than that of electric pump. The price of diesel increased 15 percent in middle of Boro season in 2007. It is assumed that the production cost of crops will also increase.

About two third of cultivation goes in the northern region of the country. In the northern part mainly diesel pumps are used. But, big oil tankers cannot reach from Nagarbari to Baghabari, where the largest oil depot in the northern Bangladesh is situated, due to navigability problem of the river Jamuna. So small ships are carrying diesel to Baghabari in limited quantity. Considering the demand of fuel in the northern area the government. has started temporary activities of oil depot in Kazirhat in Pabna.

According to the government statistics, the total sale of petroleum products in 2006-07 was 3,673,930 tonnes. Of the total sale, diesel was 2,294,223 tonnes which covers 64.19 percent of total petroleum commodities. During the period, 1,256,566 tonnes of diesel had been sold in only irrigation period.

A survey shows that the use of diesel is increasing day by day in the northern region, which is known as “Shosya Vandar” or the hub of agricultural production. The total sale of diesel in the northern part was 462,000 tonnes in 2006-07, and 439,000 in the previous fiscal. This year the demand of diesel is much higher.

Bangladesh Petroleum Corporation supplies oil all over the country through its three marketing companies-- Padma, Meghna and Jamuna. The companies are supplying oil to the different parts of the country by 80 costal tankers and 24 draft tankers and lorries. Besides, railway wagons, private tankers and lorries are used for fuel transportation. The at a time storage capacity of fuel oils in the country at present is 836,460 tonnes. On the other hand, the capacity in the northern area is only 45,000 tonnes. It would be difficult to ensure the supply of fuel oils if the storage capacity is not increased.

Electricity plays the largest role just after diesel in irrigation. But, the Power Division is able to supply adequate electricity for about 64,000 pumps in the northern area. Officials at the division said due to inadequate generation that demand cannot be met. This time the government has already going for loadshedding in the cities to meet the demand for irrigation pumps.

The target was to supply power to 222,746 pumps. However, supply has been possible for 159,164 pumps so far, which is 71.45 percent of the total target. The Rural Electrification Board (REB) has the target to supply power for 199,377 pumps and the success is 147,962 pumps that is 74.02 percent of the target. Power Development Board (PDB) targeted 20,593 pumps but has supplied only 8,832, which is 42.92 percent of the total. Paschimanchal Electricity Distribution Company targeted 2,726 pumps and supplied to 2,313, which is 84.08 percent. DESA’s target is 21, but it could not make any supply yet any. The DESCO made two connections out of targeted 29.

Power Division Secretary Dr Fauzul Kabir Khan said that steps have been taken to supply power for all the pumps. “The officers are supervising all the time in the northern part,” he said adding that irrigation will not be interrupted for power supply.

It has been known that the largest number of pumps were running in February and March. The demand of power increases 25 percent by this time and it will be 15 percent in April. The rise of demand in January is 5 percent and May.

But the million-dollar question is whether the pumps are really getting electricity or the success is only in black and white.

Fuel Oil Security

The BPC has proposed to set up a 200-km Chittagong-Chandpur-Munshiganj oil pipeline for maintaining uninterrupted oil supply even in strikes and natural calamities. The proposal is now pending with the Planning Commission. Officials said that the oil pipeline is very important in the context of oil security.

After importing and refining oil from abroad it is distributed all over the country including in the capital city Dhaka through railway and highway. The main responsibility for transportation of oil is in the private sector. Oil is sent to oil depot and pumps through tank lorries and vessels. But the associations’ strikes for various demands sometimes disrupt supply of oils.

These associations for long have been pressing the government for various demands. They claim that they do not get the same quantity in the end as mentioned in the supply point. They term it operation loss and ultimately the government has to count the money. Many think that the oil pipeline can save huge amount of money. Discussions with donor agencies are going for the first ever oil pipeline in the country.

Riverine Import from India

Considering only the irrigation season, the first consignment of fuel from India through riverways reached the country last month. Every ship fetching 1,000 tonnes of fuel is reaching Bangladesh through the river Brahmaputra. For a ship it takes seven days to reach Baghabari from Silghat of Assam, India. The BPC signed a contract last month for the first time for importing fuel in the country through the river route.

According to the contract, BPC will import 120,000 tonnes fuel from India, which will make the supply from their north-eastern Rumaligar refinery.

Subsidy for Whom

Always the government gives subsidy for the farmers, but the subsidy for diesel never reaches the farmers directly.

This time the government decision is subsiding the farmers Tk 700-750 for per acre in the current Boro season. The plan was to distribute the subsidy money among the farmers from January, but it did not happen yet.

The government allotted Tk 750 crore as diesel subsidy. For this, about 4,500 agriculture committees of the union councils have been selected to distribute the subsidy money directly to the farmers. Now the farmers have to wait to get the money if they get it at last.

On the other hand, the government is supposed to give 20 percent subsidy for the power pumps.

According to the government statistics, the production cost of rice increased by 50 paisa per kg for rise of diesel price. But the farmers say it is Tk 2.

According to the Agriculture Ministry the total diesel cost used for the pumps in Boro season is about Tk 3284.08 crore. Had the pumps been run by electricity the irrigation cost would have reduced to Tk 1091.10 crore. That means the irrigation cost of diesel pumps is three times higher than the electric pumps.

The Agriculture Ministry has prepared a roadmap to reach the subsidies for irrigation runs by diesel. The roadmap allows a fixed amount of cash against the land irrigated by the diesel pumps. But the roadmap is yet to see the light.

A recent visit to the northern area found that farmers have started Boro cultivation with utmost encouragement in last one decade. If the govt. can ensure the logistics and support for irrigation and fertilizer, the production will probably excel all the past records. The official concerned with fuel sector has claimed that they have finalized all the arrangement to ensure irrigation facilities and fertilizer supply. Their promises should not be limited within only in papers. It is urgent because the country badly needs bumper production this time after loss of Aman for twin floods and super cyclone `Sidr’.