UP Govt to Increase Farmers’ Income Through Solar Energy

The Uttar Pradesh Power Corporation (UPPCL) has signed a power purchase agreement with private developers (farmers) in six districts for 7 megawatt solar power generation projects as part of the Kusum Yojana in an effort to boost the income of the state's farmers.

With the help of several banks, farmers will build up solar power-producing facilities on their arid or unusable farmland. The government will also offer subsidies for this.

Farmers will be able to increase their revenue by selling the electricity generated by this solar facility to the government or private power companies.

These solar energy production facilities are to be built in Bijnor, Hathras, Mahoba, Jalaun, Deoria, and Lucknow.

UPPCL Chairman M Devraj announced that a 1.5 MW solar power generation centre would be built in the village of Vilaspur in Bijnor, a 0.5 MW (500 kW) facility in the village of Mauhari in Hathras, a 1 MW facility in the village of Devgaon in Mahoba, a 1 MW facility in the village of Khuksis in Jalaun, and a 1 MW facility in the village of Bariyar.

Farmers are anticipated to benefit from this scheme in two different ways. Initially, they will be able to replace the antiquated diesel irrigation pumps with solar-powered irrigation pumps.

Secondly, they would be able to earn an extra Rs 80,000 annually by selling the electricity generated by the solar plant constructed at the farm to the power companies.

In accordance with this scheme, farmers will receive subsidies totaling 90 per cent of the cost of the solar pump.

Kusum Yojana encourages farmers to install solar panels on their arid land to produce electricity from solar energy and earn money each month by selling electricity to different government and non-government power companies.

As per the Kusum scheme, a one-megawatt solar plant needs five acres of land to be built on. In other words, 0.2 megawatts of electricity might be produced from one acre of land.

Farmers can also get rid of the electricity-related issues in their area owing to this plan. The pumps provided under this programme will be installed in place of the diesel and electricity-powered agricultural pumps already in use.