Oonnati Solar Irrigation
Sustainable Agriculture
Oorja is addressing the irrigation and agrarian crises in rural India by providing an affordable low-carbon alternative to diesel pumps used on farms. It finances and installs pay-as-you-go community solar water pumps with embedded water flowmetering technology. Each pump provides 15-20 marginal farmers with water as a service called “Oonnati”, saving customers 20% on irrigation costs. Oorja hires pump operators locally to deliver this service, creating 1 job for every 3 pumps deployed. Oonnati enables the most deprived farmers to transition from diesel to solar without any upfront cost, saving significant carbon emissions each year.
Access to water is the most important livelihood and cannot be guaranteed for farmers in impoverished rural regions of India without their own investment. Oorja is responding to the irrigation and agricultural crises in rural India with an affordable low-carbon alternative to diesel pumps, which are used on farms and promote employment in the region. An eligible project!
WINNER STATEMENTWe are humbled that our intervention - which is bringing solar energy access to marginal farmers - is among the projects recognized by the iF SOCIAL IMPACT PRIZE 2020. It brings hope and extra motivation to receive this boost during a challenging time, when rural India is hard hit by the COVID-19 pandemic and a deep economic slump. We would like to express our sincere gratitude to the iF team and kudos to other projects doing great work.
Client / Manufacturer