Agartala: The Tripura Renewable Energy Development Agency (TREDA) has set an ambitious goal of installing over 10,000 solar-powered irrigation pumps in rural areas as part of the PM Kusum scheme, officials announced on Wednesday.
This initiative aims to provide reliable irrigation to farmlands in rural areas, benefiting local farmers.
So far, TREDA has successfully installed 3,616 solar-powered pumps, bringing irrigation to 7,232 acres of farmland and helping 3,616 marginal farmers.
Currently, work is underway to set up 5,051 additional pumps, with plans to install 2,264 more solar-powered pumps in the near future.
TREDA Joint Director, Debabrata Sukladas, explained that the state government is taking proactive steps to help farmers in rural areas increase their production through enhanced irrigation systems.
Under the PM Kusum scheme, farmers are provided with solar-powered pumps at subsidised prices to ease their financial burden.
“If farmers lack a water source for irrigation, they can avail subsidies under the PM Kusum scheme,” Sukladas stated.
He also highlighted that, once fully implemented, the scheme will provide irrigation to approximately 21,790 acres of farmland.
Regarding the financial assistance, Sukladas explained that prospective farmers can access subsidies for purchasing solar-powered pumps.
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For a 1 horsepower (HP) pump, a farmer will only need to pay Rs 10,000 out of the total cost of Rs 1,39,000.
For a 2 HP pump, farmers need to contribute just Rs 15,000 of the total cost of Rs 1,77,528.
The long-term benefits of the scheme include guaranteed irrigation for at least 25 years, which is expected to significantly boost agricultural production.
Additionally, farmers will no longer need to pay electricity bills for irrigation, further reducing their operational costs.
