LAHORE: A decision was reached to install solar-powered systems for use in irrigation in rainfed villages of interior Punjab, the Associated Press of Pakistan reported on Saturday.
In a meeting presided over by Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi, the chief minister, participants, including the chief secretary, reviewed the implementation, and pitfalls on the road to adoption, of the project in place of commonly used diesel-powered pumps.
Over the past few years, solar has been increasingly adopted in developing countries such as India, Mali, Nicaragua and Tanzania, where many rural villages without grid access have leapfrogged to solar.
The chief minister gave accord to install 500 such pumps in 13 districts in the first phase, which he said will ensure the availability of adequate water to at least 2,270 acres of fertile land.
The regime will be expanded to other districts as well, he informed the meeting.
An individual or ten farmers collectively could acquire a system, he added. Elahi said solar-powered systems would provide water to small and far-flung towns as well.
