Innovators Demonstrate Mobile Irrigation System at Rastrapati Bhavan

In March 2012, Hon'ble President of India Smt Pratibha Devi Singh Patil suggested developing mobile irrigation systems for water scarce regions with rain fed crops. Many times farmers in dry regions have to suffer losses due to the delay in rain during critical stages of crop. National Innovation Foundation - India (NIF) put forward this challenge before some grassroots innovators.
Shri Dharamveer (Haryana) and Shri Radheyshyam Shyam Sharma (Madhya Pradesh) came up with solutions to meet the requirements. Hon'ble President of India invited NIF to have demonstration of solutions at Rashtrapati Bhawan. On 7th July 2012 the mobile irrigation systems were demonstrated before the President.
Shri Dharamveer modified a manual hand pulled rickshaw to carry upto 250 lit of water in the field and irrigate the crop using showers fitted in the boom mounted. The rickshaw can be moved across the field where crop height is less (upto 1.5-2 ft) and field conditions are good enough to drag the rickshaw. When the crop height is more, the rickshaw can be kept outside the field, water can be supplied to the crop through sprinkler or shower attached to flexible pipes using pressure (hand pump). When field is accessible for a person to move around, shower is used otherwise sprinkler is used.
He also developed another sprinkler in which an engine of 5 hp is mounted on extended chassis of water tank (2000 lit) and a rain gun having coverage of 150 ft (diameter of circle) is fixed on the water tank.
Shri Radheyshyam Sharma developed a self propelled irrigation system with a water tank of 300 lit and which can be moved in the field when crop height is less than 2.5 ft. When the crop height is more, the machine is kept outside the field and water can be supplied to the field through transferrable sprinkler or boom attached to flexible pipes. When the field is accessible for a person to move around, boom having eight nozzles is used otherwise sprinkler is used. The machine has comparatively higher coverage.
Her Excellency appreciated the efforts of innovators and NIF and given the names of al three technologies as rickshaw sprinkler, self propelled sprinkler cum sprayer, and tanker sprinkler. Hon'ble President asked NIF demonstrate the technologies to Hon'ble Governor of Punjab Shri Shivraj Patil as she found one technology “tanker sprinkler” suitable for other areas like Punjab. Hon'ble Governor of Punjab Shri Shivraj Patil also saw the demonstration of the same on 8th July 2012 at Rashtrapati Bhawan. He much appreciated the efforts made by the NIF and grassroots innovators and assured to do needful for taking them forward.
Her Excellency appreciated the efforts made by the grassroots innovators and asked Rashtrapati Bhawan Staff to include this in the agenda for Governors' meet on 15-17th July 2012.