Ranchi, May 26 (IANS) In a surprising tale of fate turning into fortune, Damodar Singh, a Jamtara farmer, saw his fortunes touch the sky months after the installation of solar pumps at his farms under the PM-KUSUM scheme.
As he moved away from conventional fuel and switched to solar pumps, his income jumped sharply, and this also freed him from the burden of rising diesel prices and erratic power supply. After installing solar pumps under the PM-KUSUM scheme, he no longer faces the stress of diesel expenses or inflated electricity bills.
Earlier, irrigation through diesel pumps cost him around 8,000 to 10,000 rupees per month, but now this costs nothing. He says that after installing the solar pump, he now harvests three crops a year and has also started vegetable cultivation alongside paddy.
Damodar explains that after installing solar pumps in his field, he can now cultivate three crops a year. Alongside paddy, he has also started farming vegetables; previously, he was entirely dependent on rainfall. Now, water is available whenever he needs it, simultaneously, his operational costs have dropped to zero while his income has increased.
By providing irrigation water to the fields of fellow farmers, he claims to be generating a net annual income of up to ₹1.5 lakhs, a windfall gain that has enabled him to build his own home and also provide his children with an education in good schools.
Explaining the benefits of the PM-KUSUM scheme, he said, “Under the Kusum Scheme, PM Modi provided us with a solar pump. We use it for farming and received it with subsidy support. We receive the benefits directly through the online system, with no middlemen involved. We can farm year-round, which supports our livelihood. My family is happy, and my children are able to study well. Everything is going smoothly. We want to thank PM Modi.”
Notably, the PM-KUSUM scheme was launched with the objective of providing energy and water security to farmers, enhancing their income, de-dieselizing the farm sector, and reducing environmental pollution.
Over the years, this scheme has made farmers self-reliant in irrigation and has also boosted their incomes. Through digital payment channels, subsidies are being transferred directly into their bank accounts. This rather represents a story of the ‘new farming methods in New India’.
–IANS
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