KEY POINTS

·        Getting a bunch of farmers to install solar pumps was quite a task for IWMI, International Water Management Institute which is headquartered in Sri Lanka.

·        It is part of an international consortium of agricultural research institutions called CGIAR, two of which ushered in the Green Revolution in wheat and rice. IWMI’s mandate is to develop solutions for sustainable use of water in agriculture.

·        Early in the last decade, IWMI had advocated the separation of the grid supplying three-phase electricity to irrigation pumps from the one lighting up homes.

·        The farm grid would provide limited hours of subsidised three-phase electricity during the day and at night alternately every week. The home grid would have uninterrupted power for lighting.

·        Gujarat adopted the model, and called it Jyotirgram. Limiting the duration of supply would not only reduce the power subsidy bill but also help conserve groundwater.

·        The power purchase arrangement is vital to conserving groundwater. Otherwise, farmers will keep their pumps running as there is no operating cost. They will overwater their crops, or grow crops that need more water.

·        There are 10 million diesel pumps in the country. There is a long waitlist to electrify them. There are 20 million electric pumps as well, accounting for 17% of the country’s annual electricity consumption.

·        Solarisation will reduce the subsidy bill, and also provide income to farmers. The finance minister has set a target of solarising 2 million diesel pumps, and 1.5 million electric pumps.

·        Diesel pumps are cheaper, but solar pumps can match the cost in five years if running and maintenance costs are considered.