Farmers of Yamuna Khadar embrace solar energy

Access to electricity, through solar energy, has increased development avenues of these poor farmers. They now use mobile phones through which all farmers remain connected to know the current market prices of their agricultural produce.

 

More significantly, school and college-going children of these poor farmers are able to study after sundown with the help of solar-powered bulbs. In fact, there are many children studying in various colleges of Delhi University amongst them.  

“I could not study during night because there was no power in my hut. Then I thought why not use solar energy. So I went to Chandni Chowk and bought a small 20 watts solar panel in 2011. That was enough to power a small bulb and a table fan for 2-3 hours,” said Naresh Pal, a graduate from University of Delhi. 

“Students who came for tuition classes spread the word about the solar panel at my hut to their family members. Realising the potential, virtually every family in Yamuna Khadar bought solar panels,” added Pal. “I used to sell solar panels to all the jhuggies from the Yamuna Bank area to DND flyover. Now that all huts have installed it, I have stopped the business and since 2014 I’m not into the trade anymore,” said Ashok, a shopkeeper in Yamuna Khadar.

Under the 2010-Jawaharlal Nehru National Solar Mission, individuals, non-governmental organisations and self help groups buying solar energy systems are provided with subsidies through National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD). 

The aim of the subsidy scheme was to promote large scale use of off-grid solar energy systems to meet power demand of areas not having grid connected power supply. However, these poor farmers of Delhi don’t have an inkling about the subsidy scheme.