Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar
Maharashtra has led in implementing the ‘Mageel Tyala Solar Krushipump’ (Solar Agriculture Pump on Demand) scheme, bringing solar-powered irrigation to farmers across the state. In December alone, an average of 844 pumps were installed daily, with a total of 21,951 pumps set up by Thursday.
The scheme allows farmers to install solar pumps at just 10% of the total cost, with the rest subsidized by the central and state governments. Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis emphasized the importance of fast-tracking the project to address the backlog of pending electricity connections for farmers. Since its launch, Maharashtra has installed over 1.80 lakh solar pumps under various schemes, and an additional 1.58 lakh have been installed since March 2024. This makes the state the leader in solar pump implementation across India. The scheme is a part of the Pradhan Mantri KUSUM Yojana, with beneficiaries receiving a 30% subsidy from the central government and 60% from the state. Farmers can now irrigate their fields during the day without relying on the traditional power supply, which has been a long-standing issue. With the solar pumps, farmers also benefit from 25 years of free electricity for their irrigation needs.