Bengaluru: Indian Institute of Science (IISc) is working on a 'Soil Sensor System' to find a solution to water scarcity, which could help farmers know the actual amount of water required for irrigation.
"In an acre of paddy field, we often see 15 cm of standing water, while 5 cm is required. This adds no value to the crops and is a waste of water. We are working on developing a low-cost model 'Soil Sensor System' to help gauge actual moisture required by the land," said Vishnu Prasad, Chief Technologist, IISc.
The system was imported from the U.K and costs Rs 3-4 Lakh each. However, IISc's Internet of Things (IoT) laboratory is working on redeveloping the same, and it would cost Rs 20,000 to 25,000 per system.
"We want to sell it to the farmers at a cost affordable to them. At the same time, this is an open source idea, meant for everyone's knowledge. We will have a ‘do it yourself’ tutorial for farmers, so they can make it themselves and have reliable data to make a judgement," Vishnu added.
Given the background of one of the worst drought's being faced by Karnataka, with more than 800 farmers having committed suicide, this system might prove to be a saviour.
The IoT laboratory, part of the Interdisciplinary Centre for Water Research was developed with the funding of a grant from a Japanese firm. The innovations of this lab was meant for the Japanese government.
But of late the state too has expressed interest, Vishnu said. The project started in October 2016, and the system is expected to be ready by end of March.
