Ahmedabad, July 19 (IANS) Farmers in the remote and tribal areas of Gujarat are no longer solely dependent on the Monsoon for farming. Solar-powered pumps have come to their rescue for mitigating water woes.
This has been made possible by the Central government’s ‘PM-KUSUM’ scheme.
Under the PM-KUSUM Scheme, the central government provides a subsidy of up to 30% or 50% of the total cost for the installation of standalone solar pumps and for the solarisation of existing grid-connected agricultural pumps.
Many farmers shared with IANS how the scheme made wonders in bringing a turnaround in their fortunes.
Bharatbhai Waghmare, a farmer from Umarpada village in the tribal-dominated Dang district, said he is using the solar pump installed on his farm to irrigate continuously from sunrise to sunset and to cultivate crops in every season.
“We have benefited from the PM-KUSUM scheme; the government provided this assistance. We grow paddy, tur (pigeon pea), urad (black gram), and various vegetables like eggplant and cowpeas,” he said.
Gavjibhai Vasava, a farmer from Gavan village in Tapi district, explained how they were cultivating three crops a year with the help of a solar pump. They no longer have to stay awake at night for irrigation, nor do they worry about electricity bills.
Under the PM-KUSUM scheme, the Gujarat government has provided additional subsidies to help farmers install solar pumps and solar plants.
Farmers in tribal and forest areas are receiving a 70% subsidy from the state government in addition to the 30% subsidy provided by the Centre. This scheme has not only increased the income of farmers dependent on agriculture but has also made their lives easier.
According to official estimates, about 256 solar power plants with a total capacity of 695 MW have been commissioned in Gujarat, leading to the solarization of approximately 2.97 lakh agricultural pumps. So far, 22,787 solar pumps have been installed under this component.
–IANS
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