Phekan Lal Mahto, a 53-year-old traditional farmer from Hazaribagh in Jharkhand, had never earned more than Rs 25,000 a year from working on his 2.5-acre farm. This changed when, three years, ago, solar-mounted cycles were introduced in his village. Fitted with a small 0.5 hp water pump, the portable equipment allows groundwater to be lifted for irrigation. With the advent of this system, Phekan’s income has jumped to Rs 1 lakh a year.
“The portable solar-powered pump has enabled farming to take place thrice a year, as against only once a year. There was hardly any water available before, but now, there is a surplus to cultivate green peas, carrots, watermelons and pumpkins,” he tells The Better India.
Like Phekan, many farmers have been benefitting with these solar water pumps since 2017. “About 20 farmers in the village are involved in community farming. We collectively decide on the crop to cultivate for the season and rent the portable irrigation system. We share the…