‘Drip irrigation, solar energy is future of Pakistan’

[Naveed Yaseen]

By Shahid Husain
Mithi, (Trarparkar): In village Wandhanjo Wandu, Nagarparkar, one is amazed to find that a local farmer Mohabat is cultivating his 6-acre land with solar energy and is earning Rs300 daily through the sale of vegetables alone.

“I had this piece of land since long but it was lying barren for non-availability of water,” he told The News. “I used to work as a hari (peasant) in Thatta district and was barely able to meet my ends meet. Now I am self-employed person and earn pretty well,” he said.

Mohabat has gown tomatoes, eggplants, onions, chillies and sunflower on his field. He fetched Rs20,000 from the sale of tomatoes alone this year and yield in sunflower was 40 maunds per acre that he sold for Rs1,800 per maund. Similarly, the yield in onion was 60 maund per acre. He fetched Rs250 for every maund of that commodity.

“I use drip irrigation to conserve water and am a happy man now,” he said with a smile.

Known as Lift Irrigation, the project on which Mohabat works was initiated by Thardeep Rural Development Programme (TRDP) and is supported by Pakistan Poverty Alleviation Fund. The total cost of the project is Rs8,81,526 with a TRDP share of Rs1,78,926 and PPAF share of Rs7,02,600.

“Had I used a motor to lift water I would have needed at least 10 litres of diesel that would have been very expensive,” he said.

Similarly, in a village called Singharo, some 55km from district headquarter Mithi; poor villagers are fulfilling their requirements of drinking water through seven solar panels powering pumps that lift underground water. At least 60 houses of the small village of 2000 people are not only getting their thirst quenched courtesy to solar energy but are also making money through sale of tomato, brinjal, cumin and other vegetables.

Again the project has been a collaboration of TRDP and PPAF. The solar pumps work for 10 hours between 10am and 4pm every day and women are seen collecting water from the water tank.

The well is 170 feet deep. Previously village women would fetch water from the deep well through camels and donkeys and it was a tedious job. Now solar energy is being used to do the job.

Apparently, installing solar panels for the impoverished people of Tharparkar appears to be a costly affair but if one keeps in view that the great desert of Pakistan bordering the Great Indian Desert always has a blazing sun, one is bound to agree with enthusiasts relying on non-exhaustible sources of energy.

“Drip irrigation is the future of Pakistan. It means we have to learn water conservation and this can improve the lot of poor farmers,” said Dr. Sono Khangharani, Chief Executive Officer TRDP.

“In 90 per cent areas in Tharparkar we can avail solar energy and the later can play a vital role not only in provision of electricity, cultivation but can also help in job creation, poverty alleviation and in giving a boost to local economy,” said Dr. Khangharani.

“The use of solar energy in Tharparkar will also result in reverse migration,” he said.

In the wake of high cost of oil, developed as well as the developing countries are vying to meet their needs through solar and other sources of alternative energy. An article in SciDev.Net a prestigious scientific Web paper, quoted two German research reports saying that deserts in the Middle East and North Africa could generate vast quantities of electricity to sell to Europe.

“The studies found that concentrated solar power plants, occupying less than 0.3 per cent of the desert area in the region, could provide 15 per cent of Europe’s electricity needs by 2050,” the article said.

Tharparkar desert sprawls over an area of 20,000 square km. Its residents, Tharis, are the inheritors of a rich culture. This can be gauged from the fact that out of 56 most popular folk songs of Sindh, 45 are in Thari dialect. Forty per cent of the Tharis are from the Hindu and schedule castes. There are a number of ancient temples and remains of Buddhist and Jain religion present in the area as well.

Surprisingly, despite the fact that about 40 per cent population hails from the minority communities, there has never been any sectarian strife in Thar, perhaps, due to the strong influence of Sufism in the area. Who knows Tharparkar is poised to emerge as a role model in Pakistan?

http://www.thenews.com.pk/daily_detail.asp?id=164864