Chhattisgarh: Saur Sujala Yojana brings 'power relief' for farmers

Raipur, Aug 31 (IANS) Saur Sujala Yojana, under which 1 lakh solar pumps have been installed in Chhattisgarh alone, has come as a big respite for farmers, not just in lighting up their farms but also cutting down electricity bills.

The scheme, launched in 2016, has met with great success in the Dhamtari district of the state, in particular.

Jointly launched by the Centre and state government, the scheme provides solar-powered irrigation facilities to farmers through subsidised irrigation pumps, thereby increasing crop production as well as income.

A couple of beneficiaries spoke to IANS and shared the scheme’s impact on their lives.

Satyam Patel, a beneficiary, said, "Ever since we have installed solar panels, there has been no problem. We are getting a lot of benefits from the Saur Sujala Yojana. I thank the Chhattisgarh government, especially Chief Minister Vishnu Dev Sai and also thank the Prime Minister."

“With solar panels, we no longer need to pay electricity bills, and we can use water whenever required. I thank PM Modi for providing subsidies for these solar panels, and we are reaping the benefits,” said Yuvraj Patel, a beneficiary.

Beneficiary farmer Chandresh Kumar said that earlier, he used to irrigate with the help of an electricity connection. Due to this, the electricity bill was around Rs 7,000. But that has drastically reduced.

“We are saving money, which we use in other activities related to farming. I am living a happy life. I am very grateful to PM Modi for this scheme,” he added.

He got information about the subsidy under the Solar Sujala Yojana and then went to install the solar pumps at his farms to take advantage of the scheme.

The scheme was launched with an aim of empowering farmers by providing irrigation pumps to them at subsidised rates. The use of solar pumps helps in increasing agricultural production, as well as conservation and augmentation of groundwater, strengthening the rural economy. Under the plan, there is a provision for setting up solar pumps of 03 H.P. and 05 H.P. capacity.

--IANS

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