Agartala, May 11 In a significant step towards doubling farmers’ income and strengthening sustainable agriculture, the Power Department, in collaboration with the Tripura Renewable Energy Development Agency, has successfully installed 8,364 solar-powered irrigation pumps.
Tripura Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Minister Ratan Lal Nath said that 8,364 solar-powered irrigation pumps have been installed under the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Urja Suraksha evam Utthan Mahabhiyan scheme, and work on an additional 2,531 solar pumps is currently in progress across the state.
Under the PM-KUSUM scheme, 8,364 farmers have already benefited, and another 2,531 are expected to benefit once the ongoing installations are completed.
Minister Nath on Monday visited the solar-powered agricultural irrigation system set up under the PM-KUSUM project at Satdubia village in Mohanpur under West Tripura district.
He also visited the vibrant solar-powered tea garden village in Mohanpur and interacted with local farmers.
“The villagers and farmers are smiling after receiving free solar power and irrigation water,” the Minister said while highlighting the positive impact of the project on rural livelihoods and agricultural productivity.
Explaining the scheme's financial structure, Nath said the total cost of each solar pump unit is around Rs 3 lakh.
Out of this amount, farmers contribute only Rs 15,000, while the remaining expenditure is borne by the government.
“So far, a total of 8,364 farmers have benefited from this scheme, and 41,820 kani (0.33 to 0.4 acres) of land has been brought under irrigation through the project. The cost is borne entirely by the Tripura government, a benefit that is not provided by any other state. In the Northeast, Tripura has secured the first position under the PM-KUSUM scheme. I have personally visited the works, inspected them, met the farmers, and spoken with them. Our target is even higher, and the work is progressing continuously,” the Minister said.
He further stated that the state government had initially set a target to install 10,895 solar irrigation pumps under the scheme, with the objective of bringing 54,475 kani of agricultural land under irrigation.
According to the Minister, installation of 8,364 pumps has already been completed, covering 41,820 kani of land and directly benefiting 8,364 farmers.
In addition, work on 2,531 more pumps is underway, which is expected to bring another 12,655 kani of land under irrigation and benefit 2,531 additional farmers across the state.
The PM-KUSUM scheme has emerged as a major boost to Tripura’s agricultural sector by providing reliable irrigation through renewable energy, reducing dependence on conventional electricity, and lowering farming costs for rural households.
--IANS
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