WB govt to install solar power fitted pumping station in north Bengal districts

Once the project is completeed people will get their drinking water as well as for their agricultural requirements and pisciculture," the minister said. Ghosh hoped that the solar powered pumping stations will help farmers double their income.

The West Bengal government will instal pumping stations fitted with solar power to end the woes of farmers and residents in eight districts of north Bengal, state minister Rabindranath Ghosh said on Monday. The project, which has been set up in a few areas of Dooars and Malda, will be extended to the districts of Uttar and Dakshin Dinajpur, Darjeeling, Jalpaiguri, Cooch Behar and Alipurduar, Ghosh, who is the North Bengal development minister, told PTI over phone.

The department has already started carrying out assessment in each of these districts to zero in on locations to set up the pumping stations, he said. These pumping stations will draw up underground water using solar power to help farmers get sufficient water for agriculture purposes. This will help them to harvest Aman variety of rice sown in June-July and those in pisciculture, Ghosh said.

Each pumping station will be built around a cluster of 25-30 houses in a locality at a cost of about Rs eight lakh, he added. "No electricity will be required. The cost of maintenance of these pumping station will be very less. The maintenance expenditure will be only once in five years. Once the project is completeed people will get their drinking water as well as for their agricultural requirements and pisciculture," the minister said.

Ghosh hoped that the solar powered pumping stations will help farmers double their income. He said the project was delayed due to the lockdown that came into force from March 25 and the department id now eyeing to complete setting up the pumping stations by this year end, he added.

After completion the pumping stations will be handed over to the district magistrates concerned, he added..

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