SOLAR POWERED IRRIGATION UNITS PROPEL SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURE IN BAHRAICH

Today there are 97 solar irrigation systems in Bahraich district, benefiting 8,700 farmers and irrigating 1,872 acres.

- USHA RAI

In Bahraich district of Uttar Pradesh, an integrated solar powered irrigation system has brought new hope for sustainable agriculture and improved livelihoods. With climate change, the unpredictability of monsoons and cost of all inputs soaring, till two years ago farmers were finding it increasingly difficult to get the return they expected from cultivation of rice, wheat and traditional crops.

Today there are 97 solar irrigation systems in Bahraich district, benefitting 8,700 farmers and irrigating 1,872 acres. With a network of underground pipes and with farmers sharing the cost of power and water used, the effectiveness of group-based irrigation systems has been amply demonstrated.

The Aga Khan Foundation, which has been working with farmers and other marginalised groups, initiated the Low Carbon Agriculture Programme in 2020/2021, focusing on collective strength and group-based systems.

Athar Husain, the president of Unnat Sichai Solar Vikas Samiti, a collective of 17 small farmers of Imamnagar village, Balbhaddrapur, Bahraich, says they adopted innovative farming on 83 bighas (about 16.6 acres) and were happy with the results.

Instead of depending on the rains for cultivating rice and other crops, they dug a bore well to supply water when required. In Bahraich, the water table is just 20 to 30 feet deep so water availability was not an issue.

With five solar irrigation units in Imamnagar, the diesel pump sets were discarded and there was an immediate saving of Rs 5 lakhs in farming costs, says Husain. This was of course in addition to the benefits to the environment because diesel pumps release a lot of toxins into the atmosphere and break down on and off.