State signs MoU to promote solar-based micro irrigation system

Tribune News Service

Kurukshetra, November 11

The Command Area Development Authority (CADA) has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Niti Aayog for pan-India promotion of an indigenously developed solar-based micro irrigation project.

Rajiv Bansal, Chief Engineer, CADA, said Niti Aayog had accepted the project to be popularised under the private-public participation (PPP) mode.

Last year, the CADA commissioned India’s first such project at Dera Fateh Singh village in the district.

The project was funded by the Centre under the Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojana (PMKSY) to ensure water supply to every farm in the state.

Bansal said the project was shortlisted by the Aayog in its first 10 prioritised projects out of 400 projects received from various state governments. The project is aimed at highlight judicious use of water for irrigation.

Neeraj Sharma, project coordinator, said that the Chief Minister had announced to introduce the project in 15 villages of 13 districts.

Like Dera Fateh Singh pilot project site, solar panels will be installed in identified fields and the power generated will be linked to a power grid through separate feeder lines. Electricity supply from the grid is reverted to the fields to energise micro irrigation system.

In case of power breakdown or power supply fluctuations, the required water pressure to irrigate fields was affected, he said and added that the project would ensure farmers to work in groups to avail the facility.

With this scheme, farmers would get fresh canal water for micro irrigation and it could be used for drip and sprinkler irrigation, he said.

“Regular power from the grid will ensure sufficient electricity supply to build water pressure of 2.5 kg/sq cm. The initiative will be helpful in motivating farmers to replace flooding of fields to the highly subsidised micro irrigation system to save natural resource for better tomorrow,” he said.