NATORE. Feb 1: Uncen tainty Is looming over the prospects of IRRI-Boro crop cultivation programme in Natore district and some neighbouring areas as severe power crisis has been prevailing over the region.

According to some local agriculture experts, the cultivation of IRRI-Boro crops may be hampered this year in six thanas of Natore district and 4 other neighbouring thanas of Rajshahi district as shortage of power supply has rendered a large number of existing deep, shallow and other water pumps inoperative affecting irrigation.

The source said that IRRI-Boro cultivation needed a huge quantity of water upto harvesting period of the crop from the beginning of cultivation and only muddy lands could ensure the boost of the production.

Generally, heavy rainfall during IRRI-Boro cultivation meet up the demand of water, the experts said, adding, in case of less rainfall, the growers provide necessary water to their land through irrigation.

But this year, shortage of power supply is largely affecting the irrigation.

On the other hand, the district in last one month, witnessed only one inch of rainfall.

According to growers, most of their power-driven water pump-machines have become inoperative. They can not run the machines smoothly, because of erratic power supply, they added.

Such picture is veiy disappointing for a region like Natore in the northern region where, like every year, IRRI-Boro is produced in surplus quantity, an agri-expert said.

The expert, in support of his comment told that growers of the district produced between 1.50 lakh and two lakh maunds of IRRI-Boro paddy in every year during last 5 years.

Ensuring the local demand, a major quantity of the produced IRRI-Boro paddy In the district was taken to other food deficit areas of the country where food shortage prevails.

But, this year, the IRRI-Boro cultivation are being hampered greatly for want of water.

Official sources said, about 80 per cent of the total supply of power Is being cut at present. Somedays in last fortnight, power consumers of the district consumed only 6 per cent of the total daily demand.

In Shingra. Boralgram, Gu-rudaspur and Sadar thanas under the country's greatest Cha-Jan^eel areas: whoret output j of

IRRI-Boro is said to be very good. Many growers, due to want of water, can not even sow IRRI-Boro saplings after collecting these from seed-beds as erratic supply of electricity and hours of load-shedding have rendered most of their power driven irrigation machines inoperative.

The other affected thanas are : Lalpur and Bagatipara of Natore district and Puthla, Bagmara, Charghat and Bagha thanas of Rajshahi district.

In total 10 thanas, there are about 500 deep tubewells, about 3000 shallow tubewells and about 150 low lift pumps under Natore Pally Biddyut Samltee-1 (NPBS-1) and NPBS-2.

There are several other deep tubewells which are operated under the care of BADC and PDB and other government organisations. All these deep and shallow tubewells and low lift pumps depend on electricity.

Since the days of establishment of the two PBS in Natore during early ’80s the deep and shallow tubewells and low lift pumps have been running with electricity for irrigation purposes.

A field officer of Agriculture Extension Department (AED), Natore told this correspondent that although some other shallow tubewells and low lift pumps (LLPs) are operated using diesel, most of the deep and shallow tubewells and LLPs of ths 'district- depend1 completely ।

on electric supply.

During the last fortnight, the electricity supply in the irrigation areas has been veiy irregular. In some areas, the power supply remained suspended for days together.

Some hundreds of farmers of six thanas of Natore district and the four thanas of Rajshahi district are yet to start tilling their land for shortage of water caused by power disruption.

While talking to The Dally Star. Md. Abdul Matin, General Manager of NPBS-1 told that a total of seven megawatt electricity is required for their 33,405 consumers In Sadar. Shingra and Bagatipara thanas of Natore district and in Puthla and Bagmara thanas of Rajshahi districts every day while approximately five megawatt electricity supply is needed for their 2,187 irrigation consumers In the thanas dally.

Instead, the GM added, only one or 1.50 megawatt of electricity is being supplied by Power Development Board (PDB) at present.

As a result. GM of NPBS-1 said, they are forced to shed load for four hours including three hours during peak-load hour in a day.

Md Rejaul Hao. GM of NPBs-2 at Bonpara told this correspondent that eight megawatt of electricity supply is the dally demand for their 30.000 consumers in Boralgram, ‘ Guta-andnarffyin i Bagatipara, thanas of Natore district and Chafghat and Bagha thanas of Rajshahi district while about 3.50 megawatt of electricity supply is required for irrigation consumers of the thana areas daily.

But Instead, the GM of NPBS-2 said, only two megawatt of electricity is being supplied by PDB at present.

Both the officials of the two PBS also informed this correspondent that other samitees have witnessed only 0.5 megawatt of electricity supply from PDB in some days during last fortnight.

When corttacted, the Residential Engineer of PDB, Natore, Md Hannan told The Daily Star that total 14 megawatt of power supply is needed for consumption in the district daily including 3.50 megawatt of power demand for the town dwellers, but instead only 2 or 3 megawatt is being supplied at

Rahman and Dulal Khan at Balupara.

They Informed that 120 farmers of the village including them have unitedly bunched a project to cultivate IRRI-Boro on 225 bighas' (75 acres) of land in the village. They also set up a power driven deep tubewell at the project areas on December 25 last year to make their project a success, they added.

But, Dulal Khan, one of the members of the project told this correspondent, in an anxious tone that If this adverse condition of power supply continued, "we will sure to face a great loss."

Meanwhile, visiting the project of Balupur village first early in the morning, this correspondent went to other villages. On going, it was witnessed that the deep tubewell, remaining inoperative due to loadshedding.

Also at his coming back after 5 hours, he witnessed the same phenomenon.

This correspondent was informed that 8 to 10 hours of load-shedding in a day had been hampering the cultivation of the project greatly.

The project Manger. Bazlar Rahman told that 2 to 3 bighas of land could be irrigated by use of deep tubewell in one hour. So. he added, it needed continuous water supply to irrigate 75 acres of the project land.

Meanwhile, some 200 farmers and local youths gheraoed and ransacked the Chatchkolr Area office of NPBS-2 at Guru-daspur on January 16 to protest the erratic power supply and random load-shedding.

Lineman. Bokhtlar of the Area office received grievous knife-injury during the attack.

Officials of NPBS-1 and 2 informed this correspondent that small scale attacks were made several times by the villagers during last fortnight on their offices at Fulbagan of’ sadar thana. Jainagar of Bagatipara thana. Baneswar and Jamaira of Puthla thana and Bonpara of Boralgram thana-demanding smooth power supply.

Besiaes. the sources added, in some areas, officials can not take the reading of power consumption in fear of agitated farmers.

The officials also said that most of their subscribers are not paying off the bills on the plea of erratic power supply and frequent load-shedding.

As a result, they added, the samitees are incurring loss.

According to AED sources, the department has taken a programme to bring 50.500 hectares of land under IRR1-bora cultivation in the district during this season'. Production target of IRRI-Bord at 1.59,125 metric tons of paddy.

present.

Talking to The Daily Star. Md Sohrab Ali, Deputy Director of AED. Natore said that there are about 2000 deep tubewells and more than 10,500 shallow tubewells in six thanas of the district and one-third of the tubewells are driven by electricity.

According to the Deputy Director of AED. Natore. if the power supply continues to remain disrupted, there will be a crop failure.

The farmers of the district fear that if the power supply condition could not be improved immediately, thousands of acres of land would remain fallow during this season of IRRI-Boro cultivation.

Talking to this correspondent, Intaz, a farmer of Nenguin areas of Shingra thana told that it has become difficult to keep his electricity-driven pump of 15 horse power strength running due to loadshedding for hours together.

Shahidul Islam, a farmer of Hulhulia areas of Shingra thana told this correspondent that he wanted to cultivate IRRI-Boro. crops on his 55 bighas' of land. But. the worriedly looking, over 50 years old farmer Shahidul said, they have to suffer 8 to 9 hours of load-shedding causing endless hardships in irrigation. When visiting PatkoiT. Neuguin, Charmalita, Chokhoripur and Balupaxa villages of Shingra thana on Tuesday (January 28). this correspondent met two young men namely Bazlar