Maniyari Jhakra is the village of Nautan block of West Champaran. In a meeting of farmers here, Sanjay Prasad Kushwaha, president of “Sheetal Sinchai Kisan Samuh”, is tabling an account of the previous season. But this is not about their agriculture but of the “solar-based group irrigation system” for all the farmers of the village. He was not only sharing the full account but also showing its bank passbook so that complete transparency is maintained. Usually, this meeting takes place four times a year i.e. before each season of farming and all the members of the irrigation committee participate in it.

The entire solar-based irrigation system of 05 (five) Horse Power pump is not individual but collective here and it provides irrigation to approximately 35 acres with ease. This is the first experiment of its kind in the entire district. To oversee this, Sheetal Sinchai Kisan Samuh has been formed and it has 32 farmers in the same village. To irrigate their fields, there is no need to hire or put a pump set but just inform the operator about the demand of the farmer, one day in advance and the next day the farmer’s field gets irrigated through underground distribution of pipes and outlets. Neither do they pull the diesel pump set nor the pipe laying. Just press a button and the water passes through the underground pipeline directly to the farmer’s fields and the rate is believed to be also lower than the diesel set. An unemployed youth in the village has been selected as the operator to run this system. Thinking of being beneficial to farmers and India Grain Legume Cluster Development project, implemented by Samagra Sikchhan Evam Vikas Sansthan, this irrigation system is a unique model of collective initiative. To see this collective initiative, the former District Agricultural Officer, the current MP Mr. Baidyanath Prasad Kushwaha, KVK scientists and many farmers from nearby panchayats have already visited and appreciated it.

This initiative was started one & half year ago. Sanjay ji – president of the Sheetal Sinchai Kisaan Samuh shared that its inspiration came from the exposure visit to Solar irrigation system, installed in Samastipur under the India Grain Legume Cluster Development Project, being implemented by the AKRSP (I). Agriculture expert of the project, Anil Lucas, shared that – “In the current era of climate change, energy and water crisis, making farming sustainable and profitable is a big challenge”.

The process was started approx. one & half years ago by organizing an exposure visit of farmers and workers associated with the project to Chakhaji village, the work area of Aga Khan Rural Support Program (India), Pusa, where everyone witnessed the demonstration of the community irrigation system and understood its benefits. Inspired by this, a community solar system was established for irrigation on about 35 acres by 32 farmers of Maniyari Jhakhara village. Out of the total cost of Rupees 9,20,001/- in the construction of this model, Rs. 2,77,726/- was contributed in cash/kind by the members of the farmers’ group. The group also provided land, built a boundary wall and pucca house (switch room) for the establishment of a pump house.