UVS seeks financial support to purchase, install, operate and maintain solar water pumps for farmers in Naghtana Village, Washim District, Maharashtra.Because of the extreme shortage of electric power presently available to Naghtana village, farmers do not have enough power to irrigate crops planted in the winter, when rainfall is insufficient. Those farmers who do attempt to plant winter crops must irrigate their fields in the middle of the night (1 AM to 4 AM) when there are no competing demands on the very limited supply of power to Naghtana village.The stress on farmers who either can’t plant a winter crop or must irrigate their fields in the middle of the night is crushing. This stress on farmers has led to an epidemic of suicides among Indian farmers.

The Indian government through programs such as KUSUM is helping to build a vast amount of small-scale solar power plants and distributed solar power throughout India. UVS has attempted to work with Maharashtra State Electricity Distribution Company Limited (MSEDCL or MahaDiscom) and private solar power developers to locate one of the many solar plants in Naghtana village. Despite its many efforts, to date, UVS has not been successful in bringing solar power to Naghtana village.UVS seeks CSR financial support to begin the process of purchasing, installing, operating, and maintaining solar water pumps on farms throughout Naghtana village. The benefits are many. These include allowing farmers to plant a winter crop, which will be a source of additional income. It will also allow farmers to produce electric power for other needs they have and/or sell excess power back to the grid earning more income. And as more farmers have solar water pumps and are earning more income without the physical and emotional stress that they now experience, the rate of farmer suicides will fall. The widespread adoption of solar water pumps also would allow for the training of villagers in the operation and maintenance of solar water pumps. The other skills training opportunity is in the interaction with MahaDiscom on the implementation and accounting of net metering. The other benefit is that Naghtana village can begin to transform itself into an Eco Village sustaining itself with renewable energy and sustainable infrastructure and practices. 

With the exception of one (1) 6kW solar-powered 5HP water pump for irrigation of a 6-acre farm, Naghtana village has NO renewable energy. Presently the 170 farms in Naghtana village with water pumps are connected to the grid operated by the MahaDiscom. The MahaDiscom power that feeds Naghtana is fueled by a coal-fired power plant. The scarcity of electric power results in the curtailment of household power for up to six hours per day and curtailment of power to farms for up to sixteen hours per day.UVS estimates that the cost of purchasing and installing each solar water pump is approximately 5118 €. UVS respectfully requests financial support for the purchase and installation of approximately 170 solar water pumps and the training of villagers in the operation, maintenance, and interface with MahaDiscom.

• Provides substantial additional energy in the village
• Adopts Renewable Energy at the village level
• Increases Incomes of farmers through the sale of winter crops and sale of solar energy back to the grid
• Provides opportunities for villagers to learn new skills/start new businesses in the purchase, installation, operation, maintenance, and feedback sales of solar water pumps and the energy generated from solar water pumps
• Serves as a model for other similar villages.