(TOI)
The solar-powered water pumpsare turning out to be real game changers. The solarisation of irrigation pumps in Haryana is transforming the state towards sustainable energy and reducing its dependence on non-renewable sources of energy, at least in the field of agriculture. The state developed a capacity to generate around 1,300 MW of power from solar panels installed at homes and agricultural fields to light up homes and power the tubewells. Out of this, 822 MW comes from solar-powered water pumps. Haryana Renewable Energy Development Agency(HAREDA) transformed the lives of farmers by installing over 154,000 solar water pumps, each rated up to 10 BHP. An official of the energy department of Haryana said, “These pumps not only helped farmers reduce their dependency on conventional power but also decreased the overall power demand by an astounding 822.3 MW.” The Centre and state govt are providing subsidies to the farmers to install solar power irrigation pumps. This helps the farmers as they don’t have to depend on grid power supply for irrigation, while the govt saves lots of money — discoms purchase power at a high rate and farmers are given power at a very subsidised rate for agriculture. The two power distribution companies in Haryana — Dakshin Haryana Bijli Vitran Nigam (DHBVN) and Uttar Haryana Bijli Vitran Nigam (UHBVN) — purchase power for the farm sector at Rs 7.35 per unit. But farmers only pay 10 paise per unit due to a govt subsidy. This means the govt absorbs the difference, which is a significant portion of the total cost. The subsidy is around Rs 6,781 crore, covering the difference between the cost of Rs 6,841 crore and the revenue of Rs 123 crore from the subsidised tariff. A discom official said, “In the rural area, the main power consumption comes from irrigation tubewells and the tariff for this segment is almost nil due to govt subsidy.” Ramavtar Yadav, a farmer from Jhajjar, who installed a solar power irrigation pump in his field in 2024, said more than the cost of electricity, it is more convenient. Ramavtar said, “Due to govt subsidy, the cost of power consumption was not an issue, but we faced problems with unreliable supply. We used to get supply only for limited hours for irrigation pumps and we planned everything accordingly. With the solar power pumps, we can run it as per our convenience. “Now, Yadav is not dependent on grid supply, which is a big relief. On the other hand, rooftop solar panels have not made much progress, especially in south Haryana. UHBVN led the charge by helping install over 24,500 rooftop solar systems across homes and buildings, generating an impressive 492.1 MWp of clean energy. However, DHBVN contributed by facilitating only around 5,700 rooftop installations, adding another 25.06 MWp to the state’s solar capacity. The peak power demand of the state is on the rise and this summer, the peak demand is expected to cross 15,000 MW. The state generates only around 5,000 MW of power, while the rest of the demand is met through a series of long-term and short-term power purchases from multiple sources.
