Soura Jalanidhi Yojana
A dug-well or farm-pond solar pump for the farmer who has no electric connection and no diesel bill left to pay — the state and OREDA fund most of it.
Run by: Department of Agriculture & Farmers' Empowerment, Government of Odisha (with Odisha Renewable Energy Development Agency)
- Govt. contribution
- ~₹54,000 (≈90%) per pump
- Pump capacity
- 0.5 HP, dug-well / farm-pond based
- Per household
- Maximum 1 solar pump
- Launched
- 30 Nov 2018 (by CM Naveen Patnaik)
- Maintenance
- 5 years, by OREDA
Overview
A lot of small farmers in Odisha own a dug well or a farm pond but never get to use it well, because there is no electric line running to the field and diesel for a pump eats whatever the crop earns. Soura Jalanidhi, launched by Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on 30 November 2018, was built for exactly that farmer: it puts a 0.5 HP solar pump on the water source itself, so irrigation runs on sunlight instead of a monthly fuel bill. The first phase set out to install 5,000 pumps to irrigate about 2,500 acres.
On a pump costing around ₹57,000, the farmer pays roughly 10% and the government the rest — about ₹54,000, split between two departments: ₹36,000 from the Department of Agriculture & Farmers' Empowerment and ₹18,000 from the Department of Science & Technology. Odisha Renewable Energy Development Agency (OREDA), under the Science & Technology Department, handles the vendor list, installation and a 5-year maintenance contract, so the pump does not become the farmer's problem the day it needs a repair.
This is a convergence scheme, meaning the file moves between the agriculture field staff who verify the land and water source, and OREDA which installs and services the pump. It works well for a farmer who already owns a dug well, farm pond, or has access to a nearby check dam — it is not a scheme to dig a new water source.
What you get
The benefit as the state notifies it — nothing here is an estimate.
- Around ₹54,000 government support per pump — ₹36,000 from Agriculture & Farmers' Empowerment, ₹18,000 from Science & Technology — with the farmer paying only the balance.
- A 0.5 HP solar pump fitted on your own dug well, farm pond, or a nearby check dam, so irrigation no longer waits on grid power.
- No recurring diesel or electricity bill once the pump is running — the biggest saving for a farmer already paying for fuel every season.
- 5-year maintenance contract and GPS-tagged installation through OREDA, with remote monitoring so a fault does not sit unnoticed.
- Farmer selects the pump make and model from an approved OREDA vendor list rather than being handed a fixed brand.
Who is eligible
State schemes usually state their criteria as prose rather than a checklist. This is that prose, unpacked — the department’s verification is what decides.
You qualify if
- Valid farmer ID with at least 0.5 acre of cultivable, non-irrigated land
- Owns a dug well or farm pond, or has documented access to an adjacent check dam
- Has not already received government assistance for a pump set or energisation under another scheme
- Self-declares that a conventional electric connection is not feasible for the field
- Willing to pay the farmer's share of the pump cost after subsidy
Not covered
- A second solar pump for the same household — the scheme allows one pump per household
- Fields with no existing dug well, farm pond, or accessible check dam
- Land already receiving a pump or energisation subsidy under another government scheme
Documents you need
Have these ready before you start — most rejections are a missing paper, not a missing right.
- Farmer ID / registration on the state agriculture portal
- Land record showing the 0.5-acre minimum non-irrigated holding
- Proof of dug well, farm pond, or check-dam access
- Self-declaration on grid-connection infeasibility
- Bank account details for the farmer's share and any refunds
How to apply
Fewer steps than a central scheme, and usually one office rather than a portal.
- 1
Apply through Go-Sugam or the solar pump portal
Register the application on sugam.odisha.gov.in or odishasolarpump.nic.in with land and water-source details.
- 2
Field verification and approval
Agriculture field staff (AAE/AAO) verify the land and water source, typically within 30 days, before the District Collector approves the case.
- 3
Choose a pump, pay your share, get it installed
Select a pump from the OREDA vendor list, deposit the farmer's share with OREDA, and the pump is installed and commissioned under the 5-year maintenance contract.
If something goes wrong
Missing from the list, or payment stuck — here is the channel the department itself publishes for it.
- For an application stuck after field verification, a pump not installed after you paid your share, or a repair not done within the 5-year contract, take it up with the block / district agriculture office and the OREDA district office; a helpline email for the scheme is [email protected] and support runs through odishasolarpump.nic.in.
- If it stays unresolved, lodge it on Odisha's E-Abhijoga grievance portal (cmgcodisha.gov.in), the state's CM Grievance Cell system, which acknowledges within 24 hours and is trackable.
Frequently asked questions
Does the scheme dig a well or pond for me?
No. Soura Jalanidhi fits a solar pump on a dug well, farm pond, or check dam you already have access to — it does not fund digging a new water source.
How much will I actually have to pay?
Roughly 10% of the pump cost. On a pump of about ₹57,000 the government pays around ₹54,000 between the two departments, and you pay the balance for the model you select from the OREDA vendor list.
What size pump do I get, and can I get two?
A 0.5 HP solar pump, and one per household — a second pump for the same household is not allowed.
Who runs the scheme?
It is a convergence scheme: agriculture field staff verify the land and water source, and OREDA (under the Science & Technology Department) supplies, installs and maintains the pump.
What happens if the pump breaks down?
OREDA provides a 5-year maintenance contract with remote performance monitoring, so servicing is built into the scheme rather than left to the farmer to arrange.
Can I get this if my field already has an electric pump?
No. It is for fields where a conventional grid connection is not feasible, and where you have not already had a pump-set or energisation subsidy under another scheme.
Facts checked against odishasolarpump.nic.in on 8 September 2026. editorial policy.