Managing Water Pumps on Phone

A Mumbai-based company has developed a device that enables farmers to switch water pumps on or off over a phone call.

At a time when the government, experts, and various organizations are expressing concern over the depleting water resources because of the vagaries of the monsoon, excessive utilization of groundwater, and improper water management, Micro Technologies India has developed a device that will help farmers reduce water wastage to a great extent.

Today, farmers have to make multiple trips to their farms to check if there is adequate electricity to turn on the pump to water their crops. According to Micro Technologies, in India about 87 percent of usable water is used for agriculture compared to the world average of 69 percent. An estimated 213 billion cubic meters (bcm) of 690 bcm of surface water is wasted each month in the country. Water leakage, pilferage, and wastage amounts to 50 percent of the flow. This wastage takes place when industry estimates value of water and wastewater market in India at Rs 62 billion ($1.24 billion).

Micro Technologies is an IT-based security solutions developer in Navi Mumbai. The company has recently launched Micro Jai-Kisan, an innovative device for farmers which could help them remotely manage water pumps by using a phone, avoiding multiple trips to the farm just to check if there is adequate electricity to turn on the pump to water their crop.

“When we started developing the project, we kept in mind that the end user is a farmer who might be illiterate. So if we are developing a solution for him, it should be very simple and easy to use,” says CIO of Micro Technologies India Nisha Menon.

Developed on the basis of GSM technology, the device comes fitted with a SIM card. It works on dual- tone multi-frequency (DTMF) signaling which is used for telecommunication signaling between telephone handsets and other communications devices and the switching center.

Once Micro Jai-Kisan is connected with the pump, irrespective of the distance, the farmer can just dial *1# to switch the water pump on and *0# to switch it off. To know the status the user needs to dial *4#. If the pump is on, the user will hear a continuous beep and if the pump is off the beeps will be heard after certain intervals. To dial these codes, the user can use either a desk phone, a cell phone, or a public phone, or even SMS a message to the code numbers.

The device can operate on battery as well as on electricity. The company has developed two models: one that functions on the basis of SMS and the other that works on the basis of both SMS and call.

“Nearly 20 percent farmers are dependent on electric water pumps for irrigation which demand electricity. Around 25 percent Gram Panchayats in India have pump-based drinking or irrigation water supply facilities. This device will help them to reduce water leakage, pilferage and wastage, and that is where our product is going to make an impact. By using our simple yet efficient technology, farmers can save large quantities of water,” says P. Sekhar, chairman and managing director, Micro Technologies.

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After being tested in the farms in Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, and Bihar, the product is now available in the market at the retail price of Rs 7,000. For easy installation, Micro Technologies will provide an executive to install the device. An instructions manual is also provided with the product to inform users about how to install and operate the device. The device comes with a one year warranty.

Shyam PV is Senior Correspondent of Technology Review India.