Farmers in Vaijapur reap benefits from Maharashtra’s first solar energy park

Some 1,700 farmers of Dhondalgaon in Vaijapur don't need to stay up all night to irrigate their farms as the state's first-ever solar energy park for farming will power their water pumps during the daytime. The farmers had to go through a tough night regimen because a cheaper/subsidised electricity supply would be available in shifts in the day and night.

The three-megawatt (MWS) solar park is a part of the exclusive scheme under which agriculture pumps will be powered through a 9,200MW of generation to be achieved in a decentralised manner at several sites across the state by December 2025, said Lokesh Chandra, CMD of the state's electricity distribution company, Mahavitaran.

Deputy CM and Energy Minister Devendra Fadnavis conceptualised the scheme and ensured a quick rollout. The Dhondalgaon solar farm was operational in a record four and a half months. Fadnavis had said that this would be the world's biggest decentralised renewable energy project. The Dhondalgaon project was allocated to the implementer company on March 7 and the power purchase agreement was signed on May 17. The project became operational on September 5.

Why solar

Daytime electricity supply is a constant demand from farmers, because, as they set out to work in the farms late at night, they encounter dangers such as wild beasts, snakes and accidents while working with farming tools in pitch-black conditions. Many untoward incidents have been reported in this regard.

"In Maharashtra, power is supplied in shifts during day and night to agriculture pumps and there was a decade-old demand to provide only daytime power to pumps. Mukhyamantri Saur Krishi Vahini Yojana 2.0 (MSKVY 2.0) was launched to solve this problem. Under the scheme, electricity is generated using solar energy to run agriculture pumps. For this, solar power generation projects are being developed at multiple locations in the state to develop decentralised solar power projects," said Mahavitaran in a statement.

According to experts, Mahavitaran supplies farmers at cheaper rates, but it can be done only after ensuring supply to high-end consumers who cross-subsidise by paying a much higher tariff. Apart from solving the problem of farmers getting daytime supply, this project is also useful in reducing the burden of cross-subsidy on industry as electricity will be available at a cheaper rate, said CMD Chandra.

The first project

Dhondalgaon falls in the Vaijapur tehsil of Chhatrapati Sambhaji Nagar. The solar farm has been constructed on 13 acres of government land. The farm has been connected with Mahavitaran's 33kV substation at a 3-km distance. The substation will power farm pumps in Dhondalgaon, Nalegaon, Amanatpurwadi and Sanjarpurwadi.

According to Fadnavis, who took over as energy minister on June 30, 2022, the plan is to connect at least 30 per cent of agricultural water pumps by December 2025. The second phase of the Mukhyamantri Saur (solar) scheme was approved recently by the state Cabinet. The targeted installation capacity was increased by another 7,000 MW. The new target will be 16,000 MW so that 100 per cent of farm pumps are powered by solar energy during the daytime.

Sept 5
Day solar energy park became operational