“After I installed a solar water pump, which replaced the carbon dioxide-producing diesel water pump, I can grow healthy vegetables without harming the crops or the environment”.
– Inarpatiya Devi, Commercial Farmer, Bara Distric
Living in the district of Bara, Inarpatiya Devi got to know about Gham Power through Mero Microfinance. She cultivates crops on her 3 bigha land, to fulfill the needs of her family of 6. Wheat, Paddy, and Maize are her primary produce and she had been using Diesel Water Pump to fulfill her agricultural needs before she found out about the greener and better alternative – the Solar Water Pump. It’s been a month since her family decided on this alternative, and they already have a whole new group of crops growing on their land. Moreover, they also reduced their diesel consumption thus, their diesel costs are negligible now.
About two months back, there was a training organized by the joint effort of Gham Power and Mero Microfinance to spread the word about Solar Water pumps to a group of community farmers. During the training, Inarpatiya Devi’s husband – Kaji Mahato was also present in the audience. He really loved the idea of this Water Pump being a more economical and environmentally friendly alternative. So, he got in touch with Dhiraj Thakur and put forward his queries regarding the Solar Water Pump. Following that, Kaji Mahato and Gham Power’s representative Dhiraj Thakur went to the prior Solar Water Pump installation site to observe how it operated, its mechanisms, and procedures in general. The solar water pump met Kaji Mahato’s expectations. He discovered that it had a reliable water layering technique and did not make any noises, unlike the Diesel Water Pump. After exchanging a few words with the farmer, he learned how the farmer saved about Rs. 15,000 – 20,000 each month, just by replacing the diesel water pump with the solar one. Moreover, it also doesn’t produce any carbon dioxide, which was a huge relief for Kaji Mahato because his family wanted to start vegetable farming.
He then discussed the possibility of utilizing a Solar Water Pump for their irrigation needs with his family, who kept an open mind to employing the alternative. Mero Microfinance helped Inarpatiya Devi’s family with the funding for the Solar Water Pump. They only had to pay about 5% of the total cost upfront, and the rest, they can pay in the span of 3 years. It’s been nearly a month since they have utilized this green alternative and they have been generating extra income, as well as having a reliable, non-polluting water source for agriculture. Before using solar water pumps for agriculture, they were unable to perform vegetable gardening since the carbon dioxide that the diesel water pumps used to generate was bad for the crops. But as of late, they have begun cultivating wholesome vegetables for their neighborhood. Moreover, when the water is not in use on their farms, they utilize it for their household purposes. Therefore, the Solar Water Pump has been a water source for both their household and agricultural needs.