Kadapa: Farmers not keen on solor motors due to complex procedure, high cost

• Government is providing Rs 4.35 lakh as subsidy, but the beneficiary farmer has to invest Rs 55,000 as his share and the total for installation of solar agriculture motor becomes Rs 4.90

• However, a farmer can purchase an electric motor by spending only about Rs 25,000 and there is no need for him to invest Rs 55,000

• Capacity of solar motor is less to draw water from depths when compared to traditional electric motor. And installation solar agriculture motor system require some space, farmers say

Kadapa: Though government is offering big subsidy on installation of Solar Agriculture Motors, majority of farmers in the district are not coming forward to install them due to various reasons.

Farmers are not willing to follow complex procedures to get the subsidy. Only 70 SAMs were installed in 25 mandals of Kadapa district.

In general, farmers are carrying their farm activities based on conventional power – hydro or thermal power being generated by using water and coal and for which government has to spend Rs 7.50 to Rs 8.50 per unit. Whereas in Solar Power System (SPS), power will be produced from sun light, and air with lesser expensive and lesser risk.

With the aim to encourage farmers, government is providing Rs 4.35 lakh subsidy and the beneficiary has to spend Rs 55,000 to install a SAM and the total cost becomes Rs 4.90 lakh. But farmers can purchase a motor pump set by spending about Rs 25,000 and there is no need for him to spend Rs 55,000 as his share to install SAM and to get subsidy.

When contacted by Hans India A Bhupal, a farmer of Duvvuru mandal said that the 5 HP capacity SAM can draw water from 200 feet of borewell. But in dry spell district like Kadapa, borewells have to be dug up to 1,000 ft and it will be difficult for a SAM to lift water from that depth. So, farmers install either 7.5 HP motors or 10 HP motors to get water. He said that cost of an electric motor of a company is around Rs 25,000. And more over water discharge is very less with SAM when compared to power motor, he said.

In addition, majority of the farmers are having free agriculture connections and are paying very less amounts of power bills in an year. Under the circumstances, what is the necessary for a farmer to install SAM?, he questioned. "If government provides 10 HP motor under SAM, it will be beneficial to the farmers as that motor can draws much water. Installing a SAM is problematic because it involves laborious procedure even to get subsidy," he said.

When contacted, SPDCL official said that they are taking pains to motivate the farmers over installing SAMs by conducting awareness camps. However, he said that the campaign would be intensified with coordination of NEDCAP.