RDRS then a program of Lutheran World Federation\World Service in northern Bangladesh had begun the search for efficient, low-cost irrigation technology using local materials from 1975, experimenting with many varieties and the model developed by Norwegian intermediate technologist Gunnar Barnes was developed in 1979. Later claims that the treadle pump was invented in 1980 by Mr. Narendra Nath Deb in Bangladesh (), with input from Dan Jenkins, USAID engineer were somewhat inaccurate although both contributed to its further development and replication