(Story by Ajeet Singh Nainwal, assistant program lead, and Arijita Punetha, field specialist)
Uttarakhand, nestled in the northwestern Himalayas of India, depends on agriculture as the primary livelihood source of its residents, with farmers engaged in subsistence farming. A formidable challenge confronting the state’s agricultural sector is the need for irrigation facilities. Because a substantial portion of agriculture relies solely on rainfall, farmers grapple with water scarcity during the arid months, facing challenges for irrigation and essential drinking water needs.
Like other mountainous regions in Uttarakhand, Champawat, the state’s smallest district, contends with a notable challenge of water scarcity. Unpredictable rainfall patterns and a decline in snowfall over the years have worsened the situation.
Acknowledging the plight of the farmers in the area, the S M Sehgal Foundation team implemented a solar energy-driven irrigation system during 2022–23. This initiative undertaken in three villages, Bajrikot, Chakuni Bora, and Kaligaon, marked a transformative shift in the farmers’ agricultural practices in the region. The solar-based irrigation system is one of the climate-smart technologies benefiting forty-seven households in those villages. This innovative solution empowered farmers to anticipate and withstand the impacts of climate change, proving to be a highly successful intervention that has significantly increased cropping intensity and elevating the farmers’ livelihoods, resilience, and adaptive capacities.
Small Steps Pave The Way For Significant Transformations In Bajrikot Village
A hamlet of Village-Bajrikot, situated in the Champawat block of the Champawat district, is a small village with sixteen households. Despite its limited residential size, the village boasts a considerable land area, approximately 10.5 acres, a major portion of which still remains uncultivated due to the unavailability of water. Agriculture has traditionally been the mainstay of the village, but over time, residents shifted to alternative occupations to sustain their livelihoods.
Farmers recount a period when the village yielded a decent quantity of potatoes sold in the Bareilly market. However, changing climate conditions and irregular rainfall patterns caused water scarcity during peak demand seasons, which led to a drastic decline in productivity. According to farmers, introducing the solar-powered irrigation system has revitalized agricultural activities, drawing people back to the earlier abandoned fields.
Mr. Govind Ballabh Tewari, age fifty-one , residing in Bajrikot village, is among the farmers reaping the benefits of the solar power lift irrigation system. Since installing this irrigation system, Mr. Govind Ballabh Tewari has diversified his crops, venturing into cultivating other vegetables in addition to conventional potato cultivation. “Almost every household with land under irrigation area has started to grow vegetables throughout the year, leading to revenue generation. I sold vegetables of Rs.53,000/ in the last season,” says Mr. Govind Ballabh Tewari.
Mr. Chandra Sekhar Tewari, age forty, hailing from Bajrikot, is another farmer who has benefitted from the irrigation system. Serving as a source of inspiration for neighboring farmers, he contributed to community development. He allocated land to establish a farm pond and a poly-house dedicated to nursery preparation for plant saplings for distribution in the village. According to Mrs. Hema Tewari, “There has been a noticeable transformation in the cropping pattern, with people now cultivating peas, onions, garlic, and various green leafy vegetables since the implementation of the solar power lift irrigation system.”
Replication In Chakuni Bora And Kaligaon
As discussions progressed in neighboring villages, farmers discovered that utilizing the available natural perennial water sources was a practical solution. Farmers were enthusiastic about continuous irrigation for their fields in Chakuni Bora, a town in the Champawat block of Champawat district. They said that the absence of water availability limited them to cultivating only wheat on a significant portion of their land. In contrast, the land could be utilized for growing vegetables to generate additional income.
In Chakuni Bora, an additional measure, implementation of a drip irrigation system, was introduced, offering the added benefit of reducing water wastage caused by runoff and evaporation. Moreover, this system enables the precise application of fertilizers and nutrients to the plants.
Situated in the Lohaghat block of Champawat district, Kaligaon confronts an issue of water scarcity that extended beyond agricultural needs, to the essential requirement of drinking water. Women in the village note that they travel 5–6 kilometers to natural water sources to fetch water for their daily activities.
Kaligaon was once a thriving agricultural village. However, the changing climate and reduced rainfall left the fields barren over the years. Mrs. Kamla Rai, with tears in her eyes, expressed, “I cultivated various vegetables in the fields for sale in the local market eighteen years ago. It is saddening to witness these once-fertile fields now turned into desolation.”
Intervention Outcomes Witnessed
Following the implementation of the solar-powered lift irrigation system, farmers in Bajrikot initiated the cultivation of vegetables for commercial purposes. This noteworthy transformation enables families to generate an additional income ranging from Rs. 5,000 to 10,000 by selling vegetables. Previously, they had struggled to derive revenue from vegetables except potatoes, which did not fetch favorable market prices.
In Chakuni Bora, implementing solar power lift and drip irrigation brought immense joy to the farmers. Farmers have prepared their lands for sowing vegetables in the coming season. Mr. Mahesh Singh shared his happiness, stating, “Twelve acres of land belonging to seventeen households will be transformed from uncultivated to cultivated. This land will now be utilized for earning a livelihood through cultivating and selling vegetables.”
Likewise, in Kaligaon, fourteen acres of previously unused land, belonging to eighteen households, is set to be repurposed to cultivate vegetables. Farmers are eagerly anticipating the adoption of crop cycles recommended by agricultural experts to attain optimal productivity from their fields.
Management And Sustainability Of The System
Proper management of the installed irrigation system is essential for the intervention to be successful in the long run. Therefore, a water user group, comprising all the beneficiary families, has been formed. The group has mutually agreed to implement a system where beneficiaries are charged Rs. 30 per hour of usage. The funds collected from this will be used to maintain the pump and pipes and provide wages to the pump operator. The pump operator ensures water reaches each homestead land and cares for the solar pump system.
The Road Ahead
The expansion of cultivation areas in these villages has sparked enthusiasm among residents and served as a source of inspiration for numerous other towns, blocks, and districts across Uttarakhand. The implementation of lift irrigation is in progress in a one particular village, with plans for additional projects set to commence in two more villages shortly.
As more households embrace cultivating vegetable crops on their residential lands through lift irrigation, a new challenge emerges—establishing effective market linkages. Recognizing this need, S M Sehgal Foundation has been pivotal in establishing the Champawat Monal Farmer Producer Company (FPO) in the Champawat district. Actively engaging with local communities, the foundation is working to streamline the aggregation of crop produce and facilitate the connection of farmers to the market. Through these concerted efforts, the team envisions creating a sustainable and prosperous ecosystem that benefits farmers as well as the broader community.
Contact us 
Sign up for