Experts and professionals gathered at a national workshop have emphasized the need to increase the use of PURE (Productive Use of Renewable Energy) platforms to accelerate the expansion of lift irrigation facilities through the use of solar electricity as one of the viable renewable energy technologies energy in Nepal’s agricultural sector.
This was discussed in a seminar organised by Wind Power Nepal Pvt. Ltd. in collaboration with the Alternative Energy Promotion Center (AEPC) and the International Center for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD).
Stating that the platform has been prepared to support solar lift irrigation, they emphasized the need to increase its ownership and usage by increasing the use of it. At the seminar titled ‘Strategic Participatory Action Plan to Mainstream Lift Irrigation through the Use of Pure Platforms’, participants highlighted the obstacles to the development and expansion of lift irrigation.
Rush in planning but too slow for implementation is the common practice in many fields. Therefore, studies and feasibilities on technical, financial and social aspects should be cleared before going for implementation. The weak plans create problems such as getting separate electricity meters for irrigation, lack of technical manpower for repair and maintenance are some causes that lift irrigation has not been expanded in Nepal as expected.
Participants said that the PURE Platform, prepared in collaboration with the Alternative Energy Promotion Center(AEPC) and the International Center for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD), needs to be developed as an integrated platform by all government agencies.
Executive Director of AEPC Nawaraj Dhakal, Wind Power Nepal CEO Kushal Gurung, representatives from ICIMOD, and representatives from relevant agencies and sectors were present at the seminar.
Since agriculture is a priority of the Government of Nepal and irrigation is important for agriculture, the platform is expected to help expand irrigation facilities by using renewable energy on arable land. The platform can be utilised help expand irrigation by providing diverse digital data. Nepal. Where sixty percent of population is involved in agriculture, but only 35 percent of arable land has access to irrigation facilities for all season cultivation. Thus, it is necessary to expand irrigation facilities using solar energy for increasing irrigation facilities. Moreover, the 16th Five-Year Plan has set a target of irrigating 50 percent of arable land.
Due to the recent uncertainty in the weather as a result of climate change, irrigation of agricultural production is becoming very challenging, and Pure Platform will be helpful in dealing with it.
As Nepal has good solar radiation, irrigation facilities using solar electricity should be expanded to reduce carbon emissions from irrigation using diesel pump generators, experts and professionals stress.
