With limited transportation and no cold storage facilities, farmers in Himalayan states sell their produce at the local market for a low price. Cold storage units powered by pico hydropower offer a cost-effective solution.
Persimmons and cherries, primarily grown in states in the Himalayan region, are some of the fruits that are available in cities in the Deccan plateau and beyond. Cold storage makes it possible for the farmers growing these horticultural crops to sell them in markets across the country.
But many farmers do not have access to cold storage facilities. The fact that bureaucrats also stressed the need for sustainable cold storage units in the Himalayan region during a conclave organised by the National Center for Cold Chain Development (NCCD) last year, shows their importance.
Cold storage powered by pico hydropower is one sustainable cold storage solution that can improve farmers’ income.
Be it the loquat grown in the low hills, persimmon grown in the mid hills or apples grown in the high hills, Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand grow a variety of fruits and vegetables. So it is with the apples and cherries of Jammu & Kashmir, and tree tomatoes and celery from the northeastern states.
Large quantities of fruits and vegetables are produced in the Himalayan region, with a significant contribution to the local economy.
However, storing these crops till the farmers can find a remunerative price in the market is a challenge due to limited cold storage facilities.
This is exacerbated by the non-availability or erratic grid power to operate cold storage units in the areas where the horticultural crops are produced.
Also Read: A low-power cold storage solution to help farmers
As the cold storage infrastructure is inadequate, farmers are forced to sell their fruits and vegetables in the local market immediately after harvesting, at prevailing low prices.
Though there is difficulty in the Himalayan region in accessing grid power, the mountain areas are endowed with natural water falls, streams and rivers flowing down the hills.
These water resources provide ample opportunities for producing electricity locally. This can help in developing infrastructural facilities and in providing the local people with additional livelihoods, ultimately improving the local economy.
The technology design has been carried out under the RuTAG Crossfyre platform of Manthan – a government initiative. RuTAG Crossfyre is a science and technology driven design-fabrication business platform that focuses on bridging technology gaps at the grassroots level and providing rural solutions using locally available capabilities.
Under RuTAG, IIT Roorkee has designed and developed an integrated pico hydropower of 5 kW. This unit can energise cold storage units of 1.5 tonnes or higher capacity.
Also Read: Overproduction leads to distress sale of cauliflower in Bengal
Even a small sized pico hydropower can be highly beneficial for energising cold storage units to preserve vegetables and fruits. The integration of micro hydropower with cold storage is not only economically viable but also technologically feasible in such areas.
A cold storage unit of 1.5 tonnes capacity consumes 1.5-2.0 kW power. The surplus power from the pico unit can be utilised locally for lighting. It can also be used for other livelihood purposes, which will improve the local economy.
The pico hydropower based cold storage unit costs Rs 17-20 lakh. The materials and labour needed for manufacturing, maintaining and repairing the unit can be locally sourced. This will also create additional job opportunities for the local people.
The system is environment-friendly and has almost zero running cost. The additional sources of income from the pico hydropower system will help recover the cost of the plant in a minimum time period.
Most of the farms are in remote places with limited access to transportation. Because of this the farmers could not take their produce to the markets. Either the produce gets spoiled or the farmers sell them at the local market at extremely low prices.
This solution is ideal for small and marginal farmers. It addresses multiple Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) including energy security and poverty alleviation.
Also Read: Kashmiri farmers struggle to sell bumper fruit harvest
A cold storage unit running on pico hydropower unit has been installed at Barni village in Uttarkashi district of Uttarakhand. The unit – installed for Devrana Ghati Agro Producer Company – costs Rs 17 lakh.
Farmers store their produce till they get a better price. Their income has significantly increased after the cold storage unit was installed.
The cold storage units run on pico hydropower have the potential to improve farmers’ income and rural economy in the Himalayan region – especially in places like Jammu and Kashmir, Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh and the northeastern states.
The lead image on top shows the pico hydropower unit installed at Barni village in Uttarkashi district of Uttarakhand. (Screengrab from a YouTube video of Office of the Principal Scientific Adviser to the Govt. of India)
