Subsidised solar pump sets boost to farmers

Kakinada: The distribution of solar pumpsets on subsidised price especially to those farmers in upland areas in East Godavari will help in meeting their agriculture needs. Besides these, the Kadiyam nurseries numbering over 300, will also benefit in saving their power bills, in a big way by getting these pumpsets.

The facility has come into existence during 2015-16 with active association of AP Transco, NREDCAP and DWMA. Of the total cost of Rs 4.25 lakh for 5 HP solar pump set with motor and solar pans and allied equipment, bulk amount of subsidy is being borne by AP Transco to the extent of Rs 3.70 lakh. Of the remaining Rs 55,000, the farmer has to bear.

For small and marginal farmers upto five acres of land, the DWMA (District Water Management Agency) will provides Rs 30,000 subsidy. This promotes the beneficiary to pay Rs 25,000 only.

The suppliers of the pumpsets will provide warranty for four years on working of 5 HP pumpset. In the last four years, since 2015-16 the number of beneficiaries had risen considerably.

The number which was 258 in 2015-16 has risen to 702 in 2016-17, 1,052 in 2017-18 and 1,260 in 2018-19. Kadiyam Nursery Farmers Association president Gangumalla Satyanarayana said the solar pumpsets distributed to farmers by AP Transco in active association with AP Micro Irrigation Project and NREDCAP helping us big in saving power bills at an average of Rs 1 crore for the 300+nursaries in Kadiyam in East Godavari. The nurseries were not exempted from paying power bills though there was attempted to get the exemption when K Chiranjivi was Union Minister for Tourism.

AP Transco Kakinada divisional engineer N Udaya Bhaskar said that though we are supplying free power to farms for seven hours, the solar power provides nonstop power for 12 hours in the day. East Godavari NREDCAP district manager G Satyanarayana said that the process is yet to be started in 2019-20.