more-inAfter facing the vagaries of monsoons and uncertain crop prospects for decades, scores of tribal farmers living in and around Bangaru Chelka, a remote gram panchayat, have ultimately found an eco-friendly sustainable solution in solar energy to meet their irrigation needs. Kothagudem MLA Jalagam Venkat Rao’s intervention helped in extending the benefit of solar-powered irrigation facility to as many as 90 tribal farmers’ groups consisting of over 200 tribal farmers. Thanks to the solar powered water pumping system, the beneficiaries are harnessing solar energy to irrigate over 650 acres under the Bangaru Chelka gram panchayat limits. Our group has drawn up plans to grow horticulture crops to capitalise on the solar powered irrigation facility, he told The Hindu. The beneficiaries were trained in proper maintenance of the solar panels which can be rotated as per requirement, to effectively draw sunlight.

Source: The Hindu February 26, 2018 18:11 UTC