Saur Sujala Yojana: Chhattisgarh’s Solar Irrigation Push

Implementing agency: Chhattisgarh State Renewable Energy Development Agency (CREDA)
Scheme: Saur Sujala Yojana

Saur Sujala Yojana is Chhattisgarh’s state-level answer to the challenge of irrigation access in areas with weak or unreliable grid infrastructure. The scheme provides solar-powered irrigation pumps to farmers at heavily subsidized rates, letting them irrigate fields during daylight hours without depending on diesel fuel or waiting for scheduled grid power.

Beneficiary contribution: Farmers typically pay only a small fraction of the pump’s actual cost, with CREDA and the state government covering the bulk of the expense — a structure aimed specifically at making the technology accessible to small and marginal farmers who could not otherwise afford solar pumping equipment upfront.

Complementary rollout: The scheme has also extended to solar-powered street lighting and standalone power packs for un-electrified habitations in Chhattisgarh’s more remote forested and tribal areas, forming part of a broader state strategy of using distributed solar to reach communities that grid extension would otherwise take years to serve.

Farmers interested in applying should contact their nearest CREDA district office or block-level agriculture office for current eligibility criteria, application windows, and the empanelled pump installer list.