IWMI, in partnership with the Infrastructure Development Company Limited (IDCOL) and NGO Forum, is working to assess the impact of solar irrigation pumps (SIPs) schemes in Bangladesh. The project will analyze and compare solar farmers' groundwater abstraction patterns/behaviour in centralized sponsored solar irrigation pumps (SIPs) schemes with diesel farmers in villages adjoining these SIPs. The research will take place in 12 SIPs distributed across Bangladesh's Northwest and Southwest regions.

Local field implementation partner, NGO Forum, carried out field visits in the NW region of Bangladesh in December 2021 to install flow meters for monitoring irrigation water application in six SIP schemes. The team installed flow meters at 18 outlets, i.e., 3 in each SIP scheme, wherein the water application of all the farmers' plots being served by these outlets will be recorded. The team further carried out on and off-site training of SIP operators who would be responsible for taking readings and recording the same in logbooks.

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