SOLAR PV LIFT IRRIGATION FOR AGRICULTURE IN NARAINAPUR RURAL MUNICIPALITY, BANKE

Abstract

Narainapur rural municipality sits within the major rice growing region in Banke district of Nepal. It is one of the rain-fed dominant agricultural regions of Nepal which contributes a considerable proportion of cereal crops i.e., Paddy rice, maize, and wheat in Banke’s overall agricultural production. Though Ministry of Environment in 2010 placed the whole Banke under very less vulnerable, recent studies reveals that it is a hotspot of the extreme climatic condition with possibility of hottest days and night, droughts. In 2022, Narainapur Municipality was declared a drought-hit area as rice planting and farming activities could not be done due to lack of sufficient rainfall. The majority of the farmers relies on pump for certain time or yearly irrigation. On the other side, only 45% work on the eastern canal of Sikta irrigation project has been completed as per 2020 report and it may take several years before it become fully operational for Narainapur which is located at the canal’s tail end. However, Solar powered lift irrigation is gaining popularity owing to its cheaper operational cost and flexibility.