Jharkhand Farmers to use Solar Lift Irrigation to avoid Costly Diesel Pumps

Renewable energy based lift irrigation schemes will prove to be a game-changer for the agriculture sector in Jharkhand, a top official said, according to recent media reports. Lift irrigation is a mode of irrigation which involves transporting water against the gravity with the help of pumps or surge pools and transported to the location where it is to be used. For instance, a massive lift irrigation scheme, the World’s largest, has been executed on the Godavari river in Telangana, called the Kaleshwaram Lift Irrigation Scheme.(KLIP). Of course, the Jharkhand plans are nowhere near as ambitious.

The Jharkhand government has rolled out multiple schemes to boost the agriculture sector and lift irrigation system is one such initiative, Agriculture Secretary Abu Bakar Siddiqui said on Tuesday.

Lift irrigation is primarily targeted at the farmers who cannot afford diesel pumps or other traditional boring systems. Siddiqui who visited Simdega to take part in “Kisan Samvad Karyakram”, after listening to the experiences of farmers said multiple schemes are being rolled out.

He said, “Utilising renewable energy projects for irrigation will help in creating a thriving agro-based economy. Looking at projects implemented by the Simdega district administration and listening to farmers’ experiences, solar-based lift irrigation can be a game-changer for farmers across the state. And, soon we will implement this project across the state.”

In Simdega, a solar-based lift irrigation system has been developed and is providing irrigation facilities to farmers, a statement from the state government said. More than 250 solar-based irrigation schemes have been implemented across different parts of the district, it said, adding more than 175 schemes have been taken for solar-lift irrigation.

One solar lift irrigation system can be used for irrigating 10 acres of land. Simdega is one of the most backward districts of c.

In June, the Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis (IEEFA) released a new report entitled, “Solar-Powered Irrigation Would Accelerate India’s Energy Transition.” India’s agricultural sector accounts for about 20 percent of electricity consumption as per data from the fiscal year 2018-19. Most of the electricity demand falls under irrigation. However, only 48 percent of the country’s “net sown area” is irrigated while the rest is dependent on the vagaries of nature.

As per the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation’s (MoSPI) data from FY 2017-18, 62 percent of the country’s net irrigation was done either by relatively deep tube wells or other, shallower types of wells. In short, ground water (GW). Most of these wells are reliant on electric or diesel pumps.

This should direct the country’s mindsets towards solar-powered irrigation rather than conventional irrigation techniques, said IEEFA.