The chief minister of Punjab, Maryam Nawaz Sharif, officially inaugurated the project to solarization of the agricultural tube, marking an important stage towards sustainable agriculture in the province.
The first phase of the initiative will see 8,000 wells of agricultural tube passed to solar energy across Punjab, reported Express News.
Speaking during the ceremony, Maryam Nawaz announced that successful farmers would be selected via a lottery system.
The first name drawn was Muhammad Nawaz of Attock. She also examined the list of successful farmers in the Narowal district.
This project should bring major savings to farmers.
A typical farmer can save up to 10,000 rupees per day and more RS3.25 Lakh per month, going to solar energy tube wells.
The Punjab government will provide grants to solar systems: RS5 Lakh for a 10 -kilowatt system, RS7.5 Lakh for a 15 -kilowatt and RS10 Lakh system for a 20 kilowatt system.
The solarization project attracted more than 530,000 candidates, with 385,000 eligible for the lottery.
The majority, around 87%, of the tube wells operating on diesel and electricity will pass to solar energy, considerably reducing dependence on non -renewable sources.
The chief minister set an objective to complete the first phase of the solarization project by June. Maryam Nawaz expressed her confidence that this initiative will reduce the cost of agricultural production and will provoke a revolution in agriculture.
She also underlined other initiatives underway, including the farmer’s card, agricultural mechanization and internships, which all aim to improve the lives of farmers.
She also stressed that this solarization project would be a new chapter in the growth of agriculture in Punjab and would provide a major boost to the sector.
