Nashik District Gets First Solar Powered Water Pump

The use of Solar Powered Water Pump has helped the Farmers from Khedgaon village solve the issue of power disruptions.

The Khedgaon village of Dindori taluka in Nashik district has become the first in the state to get Solar Powered Water Pump systems under the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) scheme.

Altogether, 23 such Solar Powered Water Pump was sanctioned across the Nashik district. The MNRE is also offering subsidies to the farmers directly through the National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD). Cleantech Synergy Pvt Ltd. has been given the task to install the solar driver motors.

Jalaj Patil, Company Director told TOI that Measures were taken to cut down the farmers’ burden by bringing in funds from various companies through Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR). As per the scheme, the farmer has to pay Rs 2.76, along with an interest of Rs 12,000. The burden now comes to Rs 1.46 as a CSR fund of Rs 1.3 lakh is being sourced.

The scheme, which was floated in 2014, allows the farmer to pay Rs 4.8 lakh to fetch the Solar Powered Water Pump and wait till the banks receive the subsidy from the government. In November 2016, the government renewed the scheme and paid Rs Rs 2.16 lakh as subsidy with the bank. The banks then had to look out for marginal farmers who would pay Rs 2.64 lakh for the pumps within three months and then pass on the credit to the farmer.

A senior official from MNRE told the publication that this has been a very effective scheme, where the banks are getting the money in advance. Farmers need not pay the full money in advance. The MNRE has sanctioned 23 solar pumps in the state, of which Nashik is the biggest beneficiary.

On the security aspect, the MNRE officer said that the solar panels are Radio-frequency identification (RFID)-tagged that will prevent its misuse anywhere. Secondly, the maintenance-free solar system, along with the pump is ensured for a year. After this, the responsibility is passed on to the farmer. The MNRE official also added that the state sponsored scheme does not allow the farmers to benefit if there is a power connection within a 500-metre radius of the beneficiary. He will also need to provide an affidavit that he will never be given an MSEDCL connection in the future.