IIT-M alumni join hands to launch floating solar pump at Vishnupuram pond to help farmers
IIT-Madras alumni have launched a floating solar-powered water pumping system in Vishnupuram to assist local farmers with irrigation. This project aims to reduce reliance on groundwater and prevent soil salinity in the Cauvery delta region.
Why it matters
Innovative solar solutions for irrigation can help combat groundwater depletion and salinity, providing a sustainable model for rural agricultural development.
A 20 kWp solar water pumping system with floating panels was commissioned recently at the Dharmakulam at Vishnupuram in Tiruvarur district under an initiative supported by the alumni of the Indian Institute of Technology, Madras.
Drawing entirely on the pond’s water, the system can irrigate about 20 acres of land without depending on borewells and electricity.
The initiative is led by the Societal Impact Action Group (SIAG) of the IIT Madras Alumni Association and funded by WHEELS Global Foundation, on a model the group calls ‘seed multiplier capital’ - one-time philanthropic funding for building the assets, and the recurring savings generating the finance for replication in the next village. Vishnupuram is the first of five model villages SIAG aims to establish by 2030.
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