“There is no more air and soil pollution”

Heri Purwanto was the leader of a village in Java that was always short of water. His village of Krincing was remote enough that it did not have sufficient access to water to adequately irrigate the rice fields that fed the village.

According to One Earth, diesel-powered pumps had been used by previous village heads to drain water from the nearby Elo River, but the cost of the oil meant they could only operate for a month. It became clear to Purwanto that a more efficient alternative was needed.

Watching a gas-powered pump fail led him to look for other solutions, and he began reading about solar panels.

He brought his findings to a village meeting, and the people of Krincing decided to invest in an electric irrigation system. This new system would drain additional water from the Elo River using an electric pump powered by solar panels imported from Germany.

It cost the village $9,088 in village funds to install the 64 solar panels, and Purwanto purchased a water pump for $6,400, but the benefits were monumental.

Purwanto described the situation before the solar pump was installed. “Out of 80 hectares, 30 hectares lack water during the dry season,” he told One Earth.

After installing the pump and building a complete irrigation system, the solar energy generated by the village’s investment will be enough to irrigate 70-80 hectares, which will be more than enough to cover the deficit.

A rice farmer named Fera from the Krincing area said the new system had more than doubled his yields; his fields previously produced 1.7 tonnes but in the year the solar pump was installed, they produced five tonnes.

Purwanta’s plan for Krincing could be a model for energy-challenged villages around the world. Many similar places use diesel generators, but they only provide short-term relief from a problem that won’t go away.

As One Earth noted, the cost of gas to power generators is prohibitive, and its use pollutes the local environment and contributes to the greenhouse effect. Electrifying infrastructure in rural areas is a key decision that can benefit people, whether they live in the world’s richest or poorest countries.

The United Nations has said this kind of electrification is a priority and in cases like Purwanty village, it can be transformative.

Access to water and increased crop yields are key benefits, but Purwanta doesn’t forget to mention the environment. “And there’s no more air or soil pollution,” he said, according to One Earth. For villagers around the world, electrification can be a survival method that doesn’t destroy the land they live on.

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