Parveen Arora
Tribune News Service
Karnal, March 15
To replace the diesel pumps in reclamation of the waterlogged saline soils, Scientists of the Central Soil Salinity Research Institute (CSSRI), Karnal, have developed a trolley-mounted solar-powered mobile pumping system of sub-surface drainage (SSD) effluents.
As per the scientists, it is not only cost-effective, but also easy to operate. They claim that it will also overcome the issues between the farmers' groups over the expenditure on operating diesel pumps as the solar pump will have no running cost. This initiative is being taken under the CSSRI's farmers' first project and the first testing and demonstration will be given to farmers in April at Kathura village of Sonepat district and later other waterlogged saline soil-affected districts will be covered. If all goes as per the plan, then the institute will recommend the policymakers to take the initiative for large-scale reclamation, said Dr PC Sharma, Director, CSSRI.
It is a portable trolley-based solar pumping system and it can be brought to the pumping site during the need and can be moved to safe place after drainage. After reclamation of one site, this can be moved to another site for pumping. It has the provision for folding the solar panels for easy transportation, the Director added.
Claiming that salinity is a big challenge, the Director said saline soils are those soils having higher concentration of soluble salts than critical levels. These soils are recognised by electrical conductivity of soil saturation paste. The saline soils are reclaimed through removal of excess soluble salts through leaching with good quality irrigation water. Around 1.5 lakh hectares soil is saline in Haryana and so far around 11,000 hectares have been reclaimed.
Dr DS Bundela, Principal Scientist and Head, Division of Irrigation Drainage and Engineering, CSSRI, said for pumping the saline water from the sump close to open drain, diesel is to be collected from all the beneficiaries of that particular area, but the farmers whose lands are far from the drain are mostly reluctant to contribute diesel in the assumption that their soils would reclaim if the farmer nearest to the drain pump the water. Some farmers are also of the belief that the technology would not benefit them. This type of social conflict of beneficiary farmers has led ineffective reclamation of soils, he added.
To overcome these challenges, they have developed this mobile solar pump, he said.
Dr Parvender Sheoran, Principal Scientist, CSSRI, said in the present technique for reclamation of such lands, sub-surface drainage (SSD) technology has been evolved by the CSSRI, which is being implemented in Haryana in collaborative mode by the CSSRI and Haryana Operational Pilot Project (HOPP). "CSSRI is providing site selection, design, monitoring and evaluation support, while the HOPP is implementing installation of SSD in selected areas free of cost," he said.
from The Tribune https://ift.tt/3qL1uyw
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