(GIST OF YOJANA) PM-KUSUM: Empowering Farmers with Solar Energy Solutions

GIST OF YOJANA : PM-KUSUM: Empowering Farmers with Solar Energy Solutions

Agriculture plays a pivotal role in India's progress, furnishing sustenance, nutrition, and employment opportunities.
The Pradhan Mantri Kisan Urja Suraksha Evam Utthaan Mahabhiyan (PM-KUSUM) was inaugurated in March 2019 to weave solar energy into the agricultural sector.
There are around 5,02,000 solar pumps across the nation, curtailing CO2 emissions by 1.02 million tonnes each year.

Irrigation is essential for boosting crop production and enhancing resilience to climate fluctuations.
The irrigated land in India has increased threefold since the Green Revolution, yet dependence on groundwater has escalated.
The energy landscape in agriculture has transitioned from organic to mechanical sources, predominantly electricity and diesel.
Subsidized electricity fosters excessive groundwater extraction, jeopardizing water availability.
Energy consumption in agriculture accounts for 8-11% of India's overall carbon emissions.

PM-KUSUM aspires to establish 34.8 GW of solar capability by March 2026 through three segments:

Component-A: Establishing solar power plants (with capacities ranging from 500 kW to 2 MW).
Component-B: Installing independent solar-powered irrigation pumps.
Component-C: Solarizing current grid-connected irrigation pumps.

The uptake of solar-powered irrigation systems is limited (2.64%) due to:
Significant initial investment costs.
Challenges in obtaining financial assistance for farmers.
Electricity subsidies preventing solar technology adoption.
Worries about excessive groundwater depletion.
Absence of institutional frameworks to align solar pumps with water-saving measures.
Regional disparities in the solarization of irrigation systems.

Merging solar energy into agriculture presents multiple advantages, such as greater farm income, diminished reliance on fossil fuels, and lowered operational costs.
Broad implementation of solar energy can assist in curbing carbon emissions and addressing climate change.