IIT-M alumni join hands to launch floating solar pump at Vishnupuram pond to help farmers

A 20 kWp solar water pumping system with floating panels was recently installed at the Dharmakulam pond in Vishnupuram, Tiruvarur district, as part of an initiative supported by the Indian Institute of Technology, Madras alumni. The system can irrigate approximately 20 acres of land without relying on borewells or electricity. This project, led by IIT Madras Alumni Association's Societal Impact Action Group (SIAG), is funded by WHEELS Global Foundation and follows the 'seed multiplier capital' model, where one-time philanthropic funding establishes the assets, and recurring savings finance replication in subsequent villages.

The solar system, installed by Bengaluru-based PlaySolar Systems Pvt. Ltd., was inaugurated by R. Vinoth, Minister for Agriculture and Farmers Welfare. The floating system reduces pond evaporation, and the panels perform better over water, according to PlaySolar Systems' Founder and Director, Mukundan Narasimhan. The pond receives water from the Arasalar river, and the solar pumping system will irrigate fields once water is released for use from the Mettur reservoir, avoiding depletion of the current pond storage.

Located in the Cauvery delta, where groundwater overexploitation led to saline aquifers, replicating this model with solar-powered surface water could prevent further salinity in groundwater. The project also includes a bio-gas plant at Amruteshwari Go-Seva and Research Foundation goshala, producing 2,000 liters of natural liquid fertilizer daily from cow dung and urine.

The fertilizer reduces farmers' input costs by over half and increases crop yields by 20-25%, as soil fertility improves seasonally. V. Padmanabhan, Honorary CEO of the foundation, stated that cows sustain the village by providing valuable natural fertilizer, and goshala operations do not depend solely on milk sales.