Kishan urja Surksha Evam Uthan Mahaabhiyan (KUSUM) has been announced by the central government for promoting solar power production and which will benefit the farmers. The main aim of this scheme is to provide the farmers advanced techonology to generate power. The solar pumps will not only assist to irrigate the farmars, but will also allow each farmers to generate safe energy. Due to the prasence of the energy power grid, the agrticultural lavour will be able to sell the exstra power direct to the government electrical plant. This scheme provide farmers to extra income as well, so, this scheme will bring double benefits for the farmers. It will also help in de-dieselising the agriculture sector since India has about 30 million farm pumps that includes 10 million pumps running on diesel alone. The Union Budget 2018 has allocated close to ₹48,000 crore to set up the Kisan Urja Suraksha evam Utthaan Mahabhiyan (KUSUM). This programme will help set up more than 28 GW of combined solar capacity through these solar pumps. Additionally, to ensure optimal use of this solar energy, and to incentivise farmers to shift to renewable energy, the government plans to purchase the surplus power through electricity distribution companies. This proposal will almost certainly increase agricultural incomes and reduce electricity losses when transmitting power to remote rural areas. Analysts claim that losses from distribution could fall to about 12% from the current level of at least 23%. However, the feasibility of purchasing surplus solar power seems problematic. There is a need to address the issue of grid stability that this injection of surplus power is bound to create.
Features of this scheme
- This program can help farmers not only in meeting their power related requirements, but will also be able to earn some extra cash by selling excess energy.
- The government has also announced that it will take initiative to construct plants, which will generate solar power. As per the draft, these plants will only be eracted on infertile arreas, capable of generating a total of 28,250 MW power.
- One of the primary aims of this program is to provide interested farmers with solar pumps. The governmnent states that 17.5 lakh solar powered pumps will be provided to agricultural labours.
- Apart from the solar power plants, government will work towards the installation of new solar pumps in farms, which have diesel pumps. The capacity of these pumps will be 720 MW.
- The government will also work toward the installation of unique tube-wells. Each of these pumps will be able to generate power of 8250MW.
- Apart from distribution, the scheme also provides all farmers with the chance to earn more money by installing the solar pumps. The excess amount of energy that the farmers generate can be sold to the grid.
- Current estimates state that for the successful completion of this elaborate scheme, the central government will have to work for 10 years.
- Each farmer will get huge subsidy on new and improved solar powered pumps. They agricultural labour will have to tolarate only 10% of the total expenditure to acquire an install a solar pump. The central government will provide 60% cost while the remaining 30% will be taken care of by bank as credit.
