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Guntur villages witness solar power revolution in farms
Guntur villages witness solar power revolution in farms. The State government, though belatedly, has woken up to the benefits of harnessing solar energy for Agriculture pump sets operation, which is expected to play a pivotal role in revolutionising agriculture sector in the State.
non-conventional energy
- Farmers queue up to install solar panels and pump sets
- Ready to give up power connections
Amaravati(Guntur): The State government, though belatedly, has woken up to the benefits of harnessing solar energy for Agriculture pump sets operation, which is expected to play a pivotal role in revolutionising agriculture sector in the State.
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The government has launched 'Operation Solar Pump sets' scheme aiming un-interrupted solar power supply to agricultural operations. The scheme ensures supply of solar power from morning 7 am to 5 pm.
Farmers are competing to benefit from the scheme and the offices of New and Renewable Energy Development Corporation of Andhra Pradesh (NREDCAP) are bustling with life as farmers and other stakeholders are making enquiries.
The scheme costs anywhere from Rs.3.2 lakh to Rs4.9 lakh for 3HP and 5 HP motor pump set installation. Majority of the cost will be borne by NREDCAP and power discoms and farmers have to invest only Rs 40,000 to Rs.50,000 on paraphernalia as a onetime investment.
The solar panels have a life of 25 years, which means that farmers may have no power bills for that period even if the free power scheme was revoked. NREDCAP has processed 725 applications in Guntur district, which are in various stages of execution.
Already, 60 solar powered pump sets were installed in Sattenapally, Rompicherla, Tenali, Vemuru, Kolluru, Mangalagiri and Rentachintala mandals. The minimum target is 725 units for 2015-16, but 2,000 applications have poured in and the department is geared up to process every application.
NREDCAP project director G Haranath Babu told The Hans India that in a couple of years one can find solar panels in most of the agricultural fields. Even if 50 per cent of farmers adopt solar power all over the State, discoms would save thousands of megawatts of power, say experts.
Kanikattu Nagaraju, a farmer from Kolluru mandal, has given up his electrical power connection, which is a pre-condition for adopting solar energy put by APTransco. "I have installed solar energy pump set for my 5 acres. Now I do not have to spend my nights in my field attending farm operations.
I now enjoy power supply at day from 7 am to 5 pm.” Other farmers in his village echo the sentiment saying solar power would be a profitable proposition. All 2,000 applicants in the district, who opted for solar power, are inclined to give up their power connections and rely on solar power.
By Ravi P Benjamin
