N arrow roads lead to Harpur, flanked by small houses with expansive courtyards on both sides. Harpur is a small village perched at one corner of the Bandra block in Muzaffarpur district in the Indian state of Bihar, and though it may look like any other rural village, it is home to a group of women farmers who are at the forefront of a revolutionary change.
“After visiting several sites in Bihar where farmers had already installed solar pumps, we decided to set up our own,” Sunaina Devi says. “Now we have a reliable source of irrigation for agricultural activities, and we can supply water to over hundred farmers [at a cost of INR. 100 an hour] which is a valuable source of supplementary income for us. This generates an annual income of INR. 130,000 for the group.” Irrigation Pump
According to Sunaina Devi, the pump operates for seven hours daily from January to June — peak summer here — and three hours a day from October to December. It’s not used at all during the monsoon, from July to September. The SHG has a rotation system through which each member helps manage pump operation and pipe distribution.
No longer dependent on their spouses for expenses, these women are able to use the money they earn for their children’s education and other household expenses. And beyond the financial advantages, playing a more active role in agriculture and taking control of their economic well-being has made them more confident, bringing them a sense of self-reliance and empowerment.
Going forward, solar power will be key as the country works to meet ambitious goals set out in its revised Nationally Determined Contribution . India plans to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and use more clean energy, aiming to get half of its total electric power from non-fossil fuel-based energy sources by 2030.
Still, there are challenges when it comes to financing and promoting these technologies. Sujata Kumari, 46, a community mobilizer working for JEEViKA, says her group at first struggled to set up a solar irrigation pump. She is an active member of Neer Samuha Sichai Samity, a SHG located in Chandauli village, which started in early 2022.
“Initially, we faced a hurdle when approximately 25 women were interested in participating, but upon learning that the installation would require a deposit of INR. 13,000 each, some hesitated and left. However, 10 determined members prevailed, and we managed to gather INR. 130,000. The remaining funds were secured through grants provided by the AKRSP-I,” Sujata explains.
The lack of local maintenance support also presents challenges. The women have to travel to Patna, a city 100 kilometers away, to address technical issues and repairs. This leads to extra costs and long delays, affecting their ability to provide irrigation water to the farmers who depend on them.
AKRSP-I and IWMI TATA Water Policy Program piloted this project with support from the CGIAR Research Program on Climate Change, Agriculture and Food Security (CCAFS) and the Water Land and Ecosystems (WLE).
A grassroots movement is emerging across northern India to empower women and put an end to the region’s patriarchal system of local governance.
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