The department of Minor Irrigation is planning to provide the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (SC/ST) farmers with irrigation borewells powered by solar panels. The department has envisaged the plan under the SC/ST Programme.

Briefing reporters, Minister for Minor Irrigation Shivraj Tangadagi said the proposal is being mooted for ensuring proper power supply at affordable cost for providing irrigation water to the community farmers. “We have dug 3,660 borewells during 2012-13.

However, for the 1,783 borewells we dug up for SC/ST community, power supply was never given despite depositing the money with Karnataka Power Transmission Corporation Limited. “Hence, we decided on solar powered, five horsepower (HP), motors to help SC/ST farmers.”  It will cost no less than Rs four lakh to five lakh for solar power to generate energy in five HP pumpsets and pump the water from borewells.

“Of this cost, there will be 30 per cent subsidy from the State. This will bring down our (department’s) contribution by way of providing solar-powered pumpsets,” he said.