Agro Fossil Free - Study and analysis of solar water pumping program for agriculture in India

General Description

In India, agriculture contributes to about 17% of the GDP and involves about 40% of the workforce but still most of the farfetched agriculture fields (Hamlets, forests villages, near mountains, etc.) are deprived of having reliable irrigation. Therefore, providing some suitable means of irrigation is a critical requirement not just for the farmer but also for the nation. If we see agricultural growth during the past 4-5 decades, i.e. is an era when electrical/diesel pump sets are used for irrigation, it is observed that agriculture production has been increased many folds and which have been the major factors contributing to the achievement of green revolution in India. Utilization of solar energy for agriculture activities is a decentralized and most efficient application. In this study, we would like to study and analyze the efforts of government for exploring the use of solar energy for increasing agriculture productivity in a sustainable manner vis-a-vis bottlenecks or challenges for future. We would also like to analyze the different options of agriculture water pumping systems for optimal energy utilization.