THE use of solar power for irrigation projects in a single season in Rangpur has saved around 7.5 million litres of diesel. This shows that solar projects deliver where they are functional, especially at a time of fuel uncertainty. Amid global energy market volatility triggered by US-Israel war on Iran, the agriculture sector is under strain, especially during the irrigation season when diesel-dependent farmers face rising costs and supply constraints. In this context, solar-powered irrigation has emerged as a practical alternative across the Rangpur division, where officials report that nearly 5.9 megawatts of electricity is generated from such systems. This has allowed farmers to irrigate fields on time, without relying on diesel or unstable grid power, reducing production costs and easing anxieties around shortage. At field level, solar pumps are directly supporting the farming of maize and vegetables while they ensure uninterrupted water supply. Farmers report improved crop outturn and reduced operational stress. At the same time, stakeholders point to an untapped opportunity, noting that solar panels remain underused for much of the year beyond the irrigation season and net metering could enable surplus power to be fed into the national grid.
The Rangpur experience, therefore, stands as a practical validation of what solar irrigation was always intended to achieve, not only as an environmentally sound intervention but as a safeguard against fuel volatility. The scale of diesel savings and the assurance of uninterrupted irrigation directly reinforce the argument that such systems, if properly maintained, can shield farmers from price shocks, supply disruption and erratic power supply. This stands in sharp contrast with a recent incident on Manikganj, where publicly funded solar irrigation projects have largely fallen into disrepair because of weak maintenance, equipment theft, lack of technical support and administrative inaction. Infrastructure there that once functioned has been allowed to deteriorate, pushing farmers back to rely on diesel at a time when the fuel market are unstable and costly. The comparison shows a broader structural issue. Solar irrigation has not failed as a concept but has faltered in execution where governance is weak. The absence of consistent monitoring, local accountability and timely repairs turns viable infrastructure into stranded assets. Conversely, Rangpur demonstrates that when these conditions are met, the same systems can reduce input costs, stabilise crop cycles and ease pressure on fuel dependence, making the case for urgent institutional reform.
Authorities should act on this evidence by prioritising maintenance, restoring idle solar irrigation units and expanding projects in underserved regions. The introduction of net metering should be accelerated to ensure year-round use of the existing systems. Without firm accountability and sustained oversight, gains such as this in Rangpur will remain isolated while farmers elsewhere continue to bear avoidable costs and uncertainty.
