Gujarat State Fertilisers Company Ltd (GSFC) has launched its Sardar Package Scheme in 41 talukas (sub-divisions) spread across 19 districts in the State to promote use of renewable energy in irrigation, a top official said today.

“The scheme has been launched in Vyara village of Waghodiya taluka in Vadodara. The main purpose of this scheme is to spread awareness for solar pumps among farmers and encourage their use in drip irrigation,” company Chairman and Managing Director S K Nanda told PTI.

Under the scheme, two lakh hectares of land will be added to drip irrigation every year. It will offer solar pumps and drip set packages to the State’s farmers under the package.

The Sardar Scheme will also educate farmers about use of water soluble fertiliser (WSF) and their benefits with many other modern agricultural practices, Nanda said.

Also, GSFC (a public sector undertaking company) is planning to launch this package in Uttar Pradesh after Maharashtra, he said.

Like Gujarat and Maharashtra, many other States have been encouraging farmers to use solar power pumps for irrigation.

The use of renewable energy is an ideal method to uplift water for irrigation, sanitation and many other purposes.

India is all set to scale up the use of solar energy pumping systems by taking a number of steps to make it more than 10 per cent of the energy mix by 2020, Nanda added.

Demand for water pumps in the agriculture sector has been rising rapidly and solar water pumps are viable solutions to fulfil this need. These pumps ensure regular water supply even in areas where there is no power, the MD said.

On drip irrigation through solar pumps, Nanda said, “solar drip-irrigation system is a great help for farmers who are beyond the reach of grid power supply.”

If this system is maintained and operated well, it can be a great asset for different crop production. It is more beneficial for vegetable production because it allows controlled water supply to the farms, he said.

“This system brings water directly to the roots of plants and needs half to a quarter water compared to other systems,” he said.

This system, Nanda said, can be controlled with a control panel that reduces labour and other costs. It is an adaptable system and can be applied easily in any field.

Giving details on how solar pump works, Nanda said, “in case of solar water pumps the attached Solar Photovoltaic (PV) converts solar energy into electricity that runs the pump to circulate water with pressure. This system has no moving parts and is less expensive for big farm holdings.”

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