Solar pumpsets find wide acceptance among farmers

Devagiri (Anantapur): Solar Agriculture Pumpset, the brain child of State Energy secretary Ajay Jain aimed at drastically bringing down the consumption of the conventional thermal power and contribute to the substantial energy saving is catching up among farmers in the district.
It is laudable because most of the people particularly farmers in the district depend upon the freebies offered by the government and hardly come forward to participate in any scheme which demands their investment due to drought conditions ruling the roost for over 100 years in the district.
The National Renewable Energy Development Corporation of Andhra Pradesh (NREDCAP) is now focusing on the new applicants for power connection for their agriculture pumpsets. After this it would turn its attention to farmers holding AP Transco power connections and educate them on harnessing the renewable solar energy so that they could for the next 25 years carry on their agriculture operations with no power bills, as the life of solar panels is 25 years. Irrespective of the government's free power supply, the solar powered pump set would ensure uninterrupted solar power for more than two decades.
The cost of a solar powered pumpset unit consisting of 4.8 kilowatt unit with 5 HP submersible pump, hardware and control unit is Rs 4.29 lakh. The beneficiary contribution is Rs 55, 000 while the remaining Rs 2.5 lakh is financed by the Power Finance Corporation. In all, the user gets a subsidy of Rs 1.62 lakh. From 2014 to 2016 as many as 166 solar powered pumpsets have been grounded in different mandals while survey is on progress for installation of another 400 pumpsets. Farmers who have understood the dynamics of the scheme, which has long-term financial gains, are ready to utilise the scheme even if contributing Rs 55, 000 from their pockets is not an easy thing.
Thummala Venkata Bharathi of Devagiri village in Bommanahal mandal while interacting with The Hans India opined that the solar powered pumpset scheme though it is on the higher side if cost economics is taken into consideration, it is still a profitable proposition as the economics worked out suggest long term financial gains, apart from the 10-hour guaranteed solar power supply which is not the case with the government supplied free power. The government gives six to seven hours of thermal power in two spells which is practically disadvantageous. Besides, the free power supply is no guarantee as governments and policies change, she adds.
NREDCAP district manager Kodandarama Murthy speaking to The Hans India said that solar powered pumpset is aimed at economising coal-based thermal power consumption as coal reserves are fast depleting throughout the world. “Unless we make hay while the sun shines the world would end up in darkness,” he cautioned.
Farmers in Amarapuram, Ponnuru, Vedurukutam, Banderu villages in Kanekal mandal and farmers of Devagiri, Chandigu, Memakel and Guntakelu in Bommanahal mandal and other villages in D.Hirehal mandal have all opted for solar pumpsets and are enthusiastic about the free solar power supply for the next two decades.
Lakshmi Kanthamma, another woman farmer is also very enthusiastic about the solar powered pumpset. She stated that she no longer needs to wait for government power supply which is
unpredictable.
There were days when she and her husband had to wait for power supply and spend sleepless nights tending to farm work in the nights. “I am happy I am able to plan my agriculture operations because of the day long power supply.I can simply switch on and off my pumpset according to my convenience and that is helping me to plan my day well attending to farm work as well as domestic chores,” Kanthamma added.
Same is the experience of scores of men and women farmers who opted for solar pumpsets. As one goes around the above mentioned mandals one can find solar panels dotting the vast landscape and also adding beauty to
agriculture farms.
Solar revolution has gripped the district and the destination of several farmers is the office of NREDCAP in the city.