Karnataka Solar Pumps Save 200 Cr Annually; 27,700 Pump Sets Installed
Karnataka is rapidly progressing towards its target of 40,000 solar agricultural pump sets.
Bengaluru: The Karnataka government has intensified its efforts to promote the use of solar energy in agriculture, with more than one lakh farmers applying for solar agricultural pump sets, officials said on Thursday. More than 27,700 solar agricultural pump sets have already been installed and commissioned across the State, reducing the demand on the power grid by nearly 144 MW, they said.
The programme, which witnessed slow progress during its initial years, has gained remarkable momentum following the special focus, continuous monitoring and administrative interventions of Energy Minister K J George, officials said.
According to officials, with improved coordination among the Energy Department, ESCOMs, implementing agencies and vendors, key implementation bottlenecks have been resolved, resulting in a significant increase in farmer participation.
In a statement, the department said that with more than 27,700 pump sets now operational, Karnataka is rapidly progressing towards its target of 40,000 solar agricultural pump sets.
Officials noted that to encourage farmers to adopt clean energy, the state government provides 50 per cent financial assistance for the installation of solar agricultural pump sets.
"This has enabled thousands of farmers to switch to solar energy at an affordable cost while reducing their dependence on conventional grid electricity," it said.
According to officials, the solar pump sets installed under the PM-KUSUM B program are also transforming the lives of farmers.
Reliable daytime power has eliminated the need for farmers to visit their fields latenight to switch on irrigation pumps or remain awake throughout the night to manage irrigation.
This has significantly improved farmer safety, convenience and productivity.
The operational pump sets have reduced the State's grid electricity demand by approximately 144 MW. They are also expected to avoid the purchase of 240 million units of electricity every year , resulting in annual power purchase savings of about Rs 146 crore for ESCOMs, it said.
In addition, the state government is expected to save more than Rs 200 crore annually by reducing the electricity subsidy paid for agricultural pump sets, it added.
Karnataka Energy Minister George said that Karnataka's Solar Agriculture Revolution is creating a new model for sustainable farming and good governance.
"We identified and resolved implementation bottlenecks, simplified the process and gave fresh momentum to the programme. Every solar agricultural pump installed is a permanent investment in Karnataka's future," he said.
He further noted that it reduces the State's power purchase costs, lowers the electricity subsidy burden, strengthens our energy security and improves the quality of life of farmers.
