E-Paper
MP government outlines solar pump rollout and irrigation expansion under ‘Krishak Kalyan Varsh’
Plan includes installation of 52,000 solar pumps and expansion of irrigation capacity to 10 million hectares over the coming years
The Madhya Pradesh state government has outlined a series of measures for the agricultural sector under its declaration of ‘Krishak Kalyan Varsh’, with a focus on expanding solar-powered irrigation and increasing overall irrigation coverage across the state.
As part of the programme, the government has initiated a plan to install solar-powered irrigation pumps on the fields of 52,000 farmers. Officials said the objective is to enable daytime irrigation through renewable energy while reducing dependence on grid electricity. According to the government, letters of award have been issued for 34,600 units and work orders for around 33,000 installations have already been released.
Once operational, the solar pumps are expected to eliminate the need for electricity bills for irrigation and allow farmers to sell surplus power generated back to the grid, creating an additional source of income. The Renewable Energy Department is implementing the programme through various existing schemes aimed at increasing adoption of solar energy in agriculture.
The government has stated that the wider use of solar pumps could also contribute to the state becoming surplus in power availability by reducing agricultural demand on conventional electricity supply. Similar solar pump initiatives have been taken up in previous years under central and state renewable energy schemes, including components supported by the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Urja Suraksha evam Utthaan Mahabhiyan (PM-KUSUM).
Alongside renewable energy measures, the government has reiterated its focus on expanding irrigation infrastructure. It has set a target of increasing the state’s irrigation capacity to 10 million hectares in the coming years. Over the past two years, irrigation potential covering 7.31 lakh hectares has been developed, and officials estimate that capacity will increase by another 8.44 lakh hectares by 2026.
Major irrigation and water management projects are being monitored using the Prime Minister Gati Shakti portal. Inter-state river linking projects such as the Parvati–Kali Sindh–Chambal link and the Ken–Betwa link have received approvals with support from the central government. In addition, a large-scale groundwater recharge project with Maharashtra under the Tapi basin is under implementation.
Within the state, surveys have been conducted for several river-linking projects, including Kanha–Gambhir in Ujjain district, Kalisindh–Chambal in Mandsaur, Neemuch and Ujjain, Ken–Mandakini in Satna, and projects involving the Shakkar, Pench, Doodhi and Tamiya rivers in Seoni and Chhindwara districts. According to official estimates, these projects could enable irrigation across nearly 5.97 lakh hectares at an estimated cost of ₹9,870 crore.
