Shyam Sundar Das, a 62-year-old resident of Jirabhawani Rural Municipality in Parsa District, relies on farming, passed down from his ancestors, as his primary source of income. Till a few months ago, he irrigated his 1.5-hectare farmland with a diesel pump to cultivate wheat and paddy because the national electricity grid has not yet reached his locality.

However, Shyam Sundar faced numerous challenges with the diesel water pump. It was cumbersome to start, had high operating costs, and broke down frequently. The pump consumed 25 liters of diesel per day, which cost about NPR 4400. Shyam Sundar reflects, “I didn’t see much benefit this year from selling crops; because my expenses nearly equaled my earnings.”

Shyam Sundar replaced the diesel pump with the solar water pump in October 2023. He purchased the solar water pump through credit financing from Mero Microfinance as a part of the project awarded by Sustainable Energy Challenge Fund (SECF), focusing on the promotion and installation of solar water pumps. SECF is a challenge fund mechanism promoted by the Government of Nepal through the Alternative Energy Promotion Centre (AEPC) with technical assistance from the Nepal Renewable Energy Programme (NREP) and financial support from the British Embassy in Kathmandu.

“After the installation of a solar water pump, I am providing free irrigation water to neighboring farmlands. Operating the pump is incredibly easy; you just need to turn on the switch. In the village, there are standard rates for irrigating farmlands using diesel-powered pumps ranging from NPR 350 to 400 per day. In the future, I am thinking of charging only NPR. 200 per day. Before, I could only irrigate two crops a year because of high diesel costs. Now, I can grow three crops with the help of a solar water pump. I have also applied for another solar water pump”, shared Mr. Shyam Sundar. Encouraged by his positive experience, one of his friends has also applied for the installation of a solar water pump.