Power from the Sun Brings Water to Poor Farmers

As part of a project by the Transform Rural India Foundation, a non-profit based in New Delhi, India, about 30 farmers installed a new solar-powered irrigation system to help diversify their crops in an eco-friendly way – and prevent work migration at the same time.

“Our land is rich, but our people are poor,” said Gagu Oraon, a farmer who struggled with low yields and crop failure. “For young people in the village, it’s a relief not migrating for work.”

With the solar powered water supply, farmers grow more rice and vegetables. They can sell the surplus which provides more income and stability at home. “Many of us are now cultivating cauliflowers that fetch a good price in the market,” says Mangra Bhengra, a young farmer in charge of the village’s solar pump. “Who needs to migrate if you can make money in the village?”