IIT Bhubaneswar Develops Mobile Solar Pumps for Farmers

With the support of the state government, IIT Bhubaneswar has devised and built mobile solar pumps for state farmers. Thirteen solar pumps have been supplied to farmers in various areas. 

The Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana, which is supported by the state directorate of agriculture and food production, is funding the initiative. It is a low-cost portable solar photovoltaic (MSPV) system for water pumping in remote and inaccessible locations of Odisha. The project was started in 2017. 

These pumps can be used for irrigation in villages that do not have power or have an inconsistent supply. 

This project was led by two assistant professors, Srinivas Bhaskar Karanki from the institute's school of electrical sciences and Satish D Dhandole from the institute's school of mechanical sciences. The pumps, according to Karanki, can simply be transported from one farm to another, assuring a cost-effective approach for farmers. 

The solar pump, he claimed, is intended to work in low sun irradiance and can gather maximum solar energy using a single-stage power conversion from direct (DC) to alternating current (AC). 

Even a single-phase grid supply may be used to power these solar pumps. In a statement made on Monday, the national institution stated, "The institute is prepared to transfer the technology for mass production by any manufacturer with possible subsidies." 

IIT Bhubaneswar's director, RV Raja Kumar, stated that the institute has focused on producing technologies with significant societal, national, and local relevance. "Aside from current research and development efforts, the institution is also addressing issues in the hinterland through creative technological solutions," he added. 

Angul, Dhenkanal, Puri, Bhadrak, Korput, Keonjhar, Nayagarh, and Mayurbhanj are among the districts where solar pumps have been installed. The Khurda district contains three systems serving the villages of Podapada, Kanaspada, and Khudupur. 

Under the Unnat Bharat Abhiyan, IIT Bhubaneswar has adopted these villages. One solar pump has been installed in the institute, in addition to the 13 already installed.