The Delhi government has approved Mukhyamantri Agriculture-cum Solar Farm Program to increase farmer’s income and achieve the state’s solar target as per the Delhi Solar Policy 2016.

Some of the salient features of agriculture-cum solar farm program are –

• Farm income is expected to increase from ₹20,000 (~$290.34)-₹30,000 (~$435.51) per acre per year to up to ₹150,000 (~$2177.55)
• According to the scheme, it will provide an additional earning to farmers with annual increment of 6 percent per annum to reach ₹0.404 million (~$0.0059 million) per year from ₹0.1 (~$0.0015 million) per year in 25-year period
• Farmers will also get 1,000 units of free power per acre from the solar project every year
• To install one MW solar project, six acres of land will be needed, and it could generate 1.3 million units of electricity annually
• The minimum structure height of placing solar plant is at 3.5 meter, the structure should also be spaced enough to allow the movement of tractor and other farming equipment
• The maximum surface area that can be used for solar installation is one third so that agriculture activity is not affected
• Farmers will not have to invest anything for the capacity building as it will be done under RESCO model
• Solar power developers will enter into PPA with Delhi government departments like health department, PWD, Delhi Jal Board etc. which are currently buying power at commercial or higher rates
• This program is only applicable for farms in the green belt area

In March 2017, Delhi government released its Solar Policy 2016, which is applicable for the four-year period 2016-2020. This policy is applicable for any solar energy generating system with a capacity of 1 kW or more.

This announcement will help the farmers in the region and is in line with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s announcement to double farmer’s income by 2022.

Mercom earlier reported that Indian government is preparing to launch the Kisan Urja Suraksha evam Utthaan Mahabhiyan (KUSUM) program with an aim to solarize the agricultural sector using solar-powered water pumps and provide solar-powered electricity to rural areas.