Water supply to be enriched by Solar water pumps

For centuries, thinking men have looked up at the skies and wondered if they could get the sun to do some work for them – besides drying their clothes.

Mahatma Gandhi, in a British Jail in Bihar with a young scientist – Dr. Ghosh – wondered if we could get the Sun – which most of us in a hot country find oppressive, to be our friend and cook our food ? Dr. Ghosh invented the solar cooker – and went on to experiment with several other solar devices.

Now one of these devices is on the threshold of transforming Indian agriculture completely. It is also poised to assist in quenching the thirst of urban India.

The day of the submersible solar water pump has arrived.

Powered by an array of lightweight and cost-effective solar panels the submersible solar pump can be introduced in either lakes or wells or in bore wells to pump out water through all the daylight hours – even when the sun is hidden by clouds – because these new pumps operate at very low amperages.

One such solar pump has been pumping out water from the ‘Congress Well’, much to the amazement of the public, even on a very rainy day.

Quite appropriately, the demonstration model has been started from the ‘Congress Well’. For it was here in 1924 that water was first drawn by our freedom fighters.

Belgaum has always been a progressive city in the forefront of change.

The city is likely to have its water supply enriched by these solar pumps. It is also proposed to put up a few solar fountains at Fort Lake, city gardens and road intersections to keep these places cool and beautiful. As long as the sun shines, electricity for pumping water is completely free.

Visitors who have seen the pump are amazed. They call it ‘the silent miracle’.

The system on view at the Congress Well has the following two components.

The submersible pump is a centrifugal Grundfos SQF 5A-7 with a flow range of 1000-9000 l.p.h., head range of 10 to 50 metres, a power range of 100 to 1400 Watts, which can run on both DC and AC within wide ranges (30 -300 volts DC and 90-240 volts AC).

The four solar panels generate 1020 Watts of electricity during peak sunshine.

This pump can yield about 58,000 to 60,000 litres of water in about 5-6 hours.