As groundwater levels plummet, Karnataka farmers seek 10 HP solar-powered pumpsets under PM KUSUM scheme
The Energy Department of Karnataka has proposed a total of 78,400 standalone solar-powered pumpset installations to the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy under PM
The Energy Department of Karnataka has proposed a total of 78,400 standalone solar-powered pumpset installations to the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy under PM KUSUM 2.0 (2026-2030). However, farmers across the State have said that the scheme needs two key changes to bring them relief. While some farmers say the maximum capacity limit for a subsidised solar water pumpset should be expanded from 7.5 Horse Power (HP) to atleast 10 Horse Power (HP) to be able to draw water from greater depths, others stated that the companies allotted tenders for the installation must do it within 30 days so that farmers can reap the scheme’s benefits on time. The PM KUSUM B Scheme is a union government funded scheme launched in 2019 under the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy that provides subsidised, standalone solar-powered agricultural pumps to farmers. While the Centre provides 30% subsidy, the State government provides 50% subsidy and the farmer’s contribution is 20%. According to the data provided by Karnataka Renewable Energy Development Limited (KREDL), Ministry of New and Renewable Energy, around 40,000 solar pumps were sanctioned for the financial years 2024-25 and 2025-26 with the State government’s share of 50%, estimated to cost ₹750.64 crore, Centre’s 30% share at ₹450.4 crore and farmer’s share of 20%, valued at ₹300.3 crore, with the total cost coming up to ₹1,501.34 crore.
Since the implementation of the initiative in 2021, a total of 1,05,901 applications were received from farmers. A total of 56,000 installations have been sanctioned of which 28,437 have been installed till now. During poor rains Chandrashekar Reddy, a farmer from Chikkaballapur, explained, “Chikkaballapur and surrounding villages are semi-arid region. Hence, we depend on the borewell water for agricultural cultivation. I installed the solar-powered pumpset five years ago. For the initial two years, the pumpset worked well because of availability of ground water at 200 to 300 feet. But as the levels dropped, the pumpset stopped working. It works only when we receive good rains.” Anjaneya Reddy, another farmer from Kolar district said that farmers had urged the State government to write to the Union government seeking to expand the limit. “One yardstick under the scheme doesn’t work for all farmers across the country. The purpose of the scheme is to help farmers reduce the expenses incurred on diesel to run these pumpsets. However, that purpose is not being served here. The 7.5 HP pumpsets are useful only in Malnad regions or areas that receive good rains,” he said. Reddy said that he had been able to get groundwater only after drilling a borewell over 500 feet deep, that too with a bank loan.
The BriefWire