Govt to install solar pumps in Jaipur district farms to boost power supply

The Centre and state government have decided to install solar pumps in 5,500 farms in Jaipur district under the Pradhan Mantri Kusum Yojana to alleviate farmers’ electricity shortages, a state horticulture department official said.

 

The Kusum scheme is a government initiative to promote renewable energy and energy security for farmers in India.

 

Deputy Director of Horticulture Harlal Singh Bijarnia said that the government will cover 60 per cent of the cost, with farmers contributing only 40 per cent. An additional rebate of ₹45,000 is available for farmers belonging to the Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe categories. 

 

Chief Minister Bhajan Lal Sharma has pledged to provide electricity to the state’s farmers during the day for agricultural work by 2027. 

 

“Farmers are provided with solar pumps of 3, 5, 7.5, or 10 horsepower, depending on the farm’s area. A minimum of 0.40 hectares of land is required to install a solar pump. Farmers who do not have an agricultural electricity connection and rely on alternatives for irrigation, such as diesel engines, can apply online on the Raj Kisan Portal to benefit from the scheme,” said an official of the horticulture department.

 

Installing a solar-powered pump frees farmers from the expenses of diesel and electricity bills, the official said.

 

The state is also strengthening the distribution of solar pumps under the scheme to help install solar pumps in more than 50,000 farms across the state and generate 200 Mw of electricity in the next few years. 

 

Prem Singh Kuntal, a farmer in Bharatpur district, said that he installed a 7.5-horsepower solar pump under the scheme and saved ₹2.25 lakh in diesel costs in a year.