# BRAC builds mobile solar irrigation vehicle, claiming lower pumping costs

_Published Tuesday, November 10, 2026 at 1:16 PM EST · Infrastructure · Latest · Tier 2 — Notable_

![The Ponkhiraj crop-irrigating vehicle, with its solar-panel wings extended — Primary](https://assets.newatlas.com/dims4/default/cb417bf/2147483647/strip/true/crop/1600x840+0+113/resize/1200x630!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fnewatlas-brightspot.s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com%2F11%2F6a%2Fcd24886647428908310087bd6483%2Fponkhiraj-3.jpeg&na.image_optimisation=0)

BRAC International developed a mobile solar irrigation vehicle for Bangladesh and is building more units, New Atlas reported. Called Ponkhiraj, the modified electric three-wheeler carries folding 3.3-kW solar panels that power a 3-hp pump through a hybrid controller.

The pump draws water from canals or lakes at up to 60,000 liters per hour. BRAC claims the vehicle can irrigate approximately 2.5 acres per day at a cost equivalent to about 80 cents, compared with roughly US$8 for a diesel pump over the same period.

The vehicle can move between farms on narrow rural roads. Irrigation depends on access to a nearby water source.

## Sources

- [New Atlas: Technology-Innovation-Outdoor News](https://newatlas.com/good-thinking/ponkhiraj-solar-powered-field-irrigation/)

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Canonical: https://techandbusiness.org/newswire/6vZZc3IudRoCmuz9VoJNiS
Published: 2026-11-10T18:16:22.477Z
Story chronology: 2026-11-10T17:00:00.000Z
Retrieved: 2026-11-10T20:02:04.447Z
Publisher: Tech & Business (techandbusiness.org)