{"id":3222,"date":"2026-05-23T06:29:10","date_gmt":"2026-05-23T06:29:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/smartsipplus.org\/?p=3222"},"modified":"2026-05-23T06:35:02","modified_gmt":"2026-05-23T06:35:02","slug":"high-tech-farming-hits-khariya","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/smartsipplus.org\/bn\/high-tech-farming-hits-khariya\/","title":{"rendered":"HIGH-TECH FARMING HITS KHARIYA"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t

Birmingham City University Team Installs Smart Sensors at Dayanand Jhajharia\u2019s Farm<\/strong>
Khariya Village, Hisar District, Haryana\u00a0 \u2022 Birmingham City University, UK<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t

\n\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t

In a landmark step for rural modernisation, a specialist team from Birmingham City University has installed cutting-edge smart sensors and an automated universal controller on a solar irrigation pump in Khariya village \u2014 turning one farmer\u2019s field into a blueprint for India\u2019s agricultural future.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t

\n\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\"\"\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t

Caption: Workshop and site demonstration at Dayanand Jhajharia\u2019s farm, Khariya village<\/em><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t

A Watershed Moment for Khariya<\/strong>
Khariya village in Hisar district recently hosted what locals are calling a watershed event: a full-scale site demonstration and workshop titled \u201cPathways for Utilising Excess Solar Irrigation Pump Energy.\u201d The gathering was led by a specialist team from Birmingham City University (UK), comprising Professor Cham Athwal, Professor Florimond Gueniat, Professor Shishank, Professor Navjot Sandhu and Dr Sandeep Dhundhara.
The event directly aligned with Prime Minister Narendra Modi\u2019s recent appeal to shift from diesel to solar-powered irrigation, bringing that national ambition to the granular reality of a single farm, owned by progressive farmer Mr Dayanand Jhajharia.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\"\"\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t

Caption: Prof. Cham Athwal, Prof. Shishank<\/em><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t

The Problem: Idle Pumps, Wasted Potential<\/strong>
Solar irrigation pumps across India face a counterintuitive challenge \u2014 they sit idle for over 150 days a year. During those months, the panels still generate electricity, but with no irrigation demand, that energy is simply lost.
The BCU team\u2019s solution addresses this directly. An automated universal controller intelligently diverts surplus solar energy to power a range of productive applications beyond irrigation:<\/p>

\u2022 Flour mills \u2014 empowering local agro-processing
\u2022 Chaff cutters \u2014 reducing manual labour for farm families
\u2022 EV charging stations \u2014 enabling clean rural transport
\u2022 Household appliances \u2014 improving quality of life on the farm<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t

This dual-benefit approach transforms each farm into a self-sustaining \u201cAtmanirbhar\u201d power hub \u2014 drastically reducing dependence on the national grid and lessening the government\u2019s electricity subsidy burden, while simultaneously unlocking new income streams for rural households.<\/em><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t

Smart Sensors: Precision at Every Level<\/strong>
At the heart of the installation are smart sensors that continuously monitor the farm environment and energy system in real time. Data is processed in the cloud, providing farmers with accurate, actionable insights into both solar radiation and water conservation.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\"\"\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t

The sensors continuously track:
\u2022 Ambient temperature and solar panel temperature
\u2022 Rainfall levels
\u2022 Hourly water usage
\u2022 Energy produced by solar panels
\u2022 Energy utilised by the irrigation pump and household applications<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\"\"\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t

Together, these data streams offer a comprehensive picture that enables minimising water waste and optimising crop health \u2014 outcomes that directly translate into higher farmer earnings.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t

Empowering the Women Who Feed India<\/strong>
A central theme of the workshop was the role of women in Indian agriculture. Women make up nearly two-thirds of the country\u2019s agricultural workforce, yet they have often borne the heaviest burden of labour-intensive tasks, such as irrigation management.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t

\n\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t

By simplifying labour-intensive tasks and creating new agro-processing income streams, this technology directly empowers the farm women who form the backbone of rural India\u2019s food system.<\/em><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t

\n\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t

The smart system reduces the physical and cognitive load of water management, freeing women to engage in higher-value activities and entrepreneurial ventures \u2014 a shift with far-reaching implications for gender equity in rural economies.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t

\n\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\"\"\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t

Caption: Interactive engagement session attended by approximately 70 local farmers and women entrepreneurs<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t

A New Benchmark for Rural Haryana<\/strong><\/p>

The visit culminated in an interactive session attended by approximately 70 local farmers and women entrepreneurs. Participants engaged directly with the university experts, asking practical questions about installation, costs, and long-term maintenance.<\/p>

The international collaboration between Birmingham City University and Khariya\u2019s farming community represents more than a technology transfer \u2014 it is a proof of concept for how data-driven, sustainable agriculture can take root in India\u2019s heartland, setting a new benchmark for inclusive, environmentally sound economic growth.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t

\n\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t

By leveraging precise, real-time sensor data and redirecting idle solar energy into productive use, the project offers a replicable model for transforming solar irrigation infrastructure across rural India \u2014 one farm at a time.<\/em><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t

\n\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\"\"\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\"\"\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t

Caption: Farmers, women entrepreneurs and BCU team at the close of the demonstration event, Khariya village<\/em><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Birmingham City University Team Installs Smart Sensors at Dayanand Jhajharia\u2019s Farm Khariya Village, Hisar District, Haryana\u00a0 \u2022 Birmingham City University, UK In a landmark step for rural modernisation, a specialist team from Birmingham City University has installed cutting-edge smart sensors and an automated universal controller on a solar irrigation pump in Khariya village \u2014 turning […]<\/p>","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":3211,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[61],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-3222","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-research-insights"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/smartsipplus.org\/bn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3222","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/smartsipplus.org\/bn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/smartsipplus.org\/bn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/smartsipplus.org\/bn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/smartsipplus.org\/bn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3222"}],"version-history":[{"count":9,"href":"https:\/\/smartsipplus.org\/bn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3222\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3242,"href":"https:\/\/smartsipplus.org\/bn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3222\/revisions\/3242"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/smartsipplus.org\/bn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/3211"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/smartsipplus.org\/bn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3222"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/smartsipplus.org\/bn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3222"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/smartsipplus.org\/bn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3222"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}