What happens when a design for a solar water pump is actually implemented?
The innovation challenge ran from September to November, 2013, with three winners from across the world – Canada, Hungary and India.
Recently, one of the winners of the challenge – Vivek Mundkur from Pune, India designed his solar powered irrigation pump and began with the testing.
It’s called the Atom Solar Suntrolley – it is a 1 horse power portable solar water pumping system which can replace diesel irrigation pumps for small farmers. It can deliver 10,000 litres of water per hour. The key features of the pump are – that it is portable, and can be assembled within 10 minutes anywhere.
The Sun-trolley offers a unique solution to farmers, who often suffer from issues which are not in their control. For example, erratic rainfall, floods and draughts can affect the crop production which forces farmers into social economic problems like farmer suicides and unending debt cycles.
Diesel is a rising cost for farmers, leading to inconsistencies in their profits. Using a portable solar irrigation pump can solve issues related to it.
In regions where electricity supply and distribution is unreliable, and volatile diesel costs can push communities into a complicated poverty trap, this Atom Solar-trolley is going to create a new model of irrigating farmlands in India
Ruhie Kumar works in the digital mobilisation team at Greenpeace India.