Home »News» Farmers in Jharkhand use solar energy to boost irrigation to avoid expensive diesel pumps
According to recent media reports, a senior official stated that the enhanced irrigation scheme based on renewable energy will prove to be a game changer for the agricultural sector in Jharkhand. Lift irrigation is an irrigation mode that involves transporting water to the location where it will be used against gravity with the help of a pump or buffer tank. For example, on the Godavari River in Telangana, one of the world's largest large-scale elevated irrigation projects was implemented, called the Kaleshwaram Improved Irrigation Program (KLIP). Of course, Jharkhand’s plan is far less ambitious.
Agriculture Minister Abu Bakar Siddiqui (Abu Bakar Siddiqui) said on Tuesday that the Jharkhand state government has launched a number of plans to promote agricultural development, one of which is to upgrade the irrigation system.
Lift irrigation is mainly aimed at farmers who cannot afford diesel pumps or other traditional drilling systems. Siddiqui went to Simdega to participate in the "Kisan Samvad Karyakram". After listening to the farmers' experience, he said that he is launching a number of plans.
He said: “Utilizing renewable energy projects for irrigation will help create a prosperous agricultural economy. Look at the projects implemented by the Simdega District Government and listen to farmers’ experiences. Solar-powered irrigation can change the rules of the game for farmers across the state. Soon we will implement this project in the whole state."
A state government statement said that at Simdega, a solar-based elevating irrigation system has been developed and irrigation facilities are being provided for farmers. It said that more than 250 solar-based irrigation schemes have been implemented in different parts of the region, in addition to more than 175 schemes for solar lift irrigation.
A solar lift irrigation system can irrigate 10 acres of land. Simdega is one of the most backward areas in c.
In June, the Institute of Energy Economics and Financial Analysis (IEEFA) released a new report entitled "Solar Irrigation Will Accelerate India's Energy Transition". According to data for the 2018-19 fiscal year, India's agricultural sector accounts for approximately 20% of electricity consumption. Most of the electricity demand comes from irrigation. However, only 48% of the country’s “net sown area” is irrigated, and the rest depends on the unpredictable natural environment.
According to data from the Ministry of Statistics and Planning and Implementation (MoSPI) for the 2017-18 fiscal year, 62% of the country's net irrigation was done through relatively deep tube wells or other shallower types of wells. In short, groundwater (GW). Most of these wells rely on electric or diesel pumps.
IEEFA stated that this should lead the country's mindset to turn to solar irrigation instead of traditional irrigation technology.
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