Sagar:

Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Roorkee alumni Anand Jain has created magic in Sagar, Madhya Pradesh. He has set up the country's largest agri-voltaic solar plant on 16 acres of land, by which not only electricity is generated but also organic farming is done.

He set up the solar plant on 16 acres of land. Usually, farming does not happen under a solar plant as the plants need sunlight to grow. But Jain set up the agri-voltaic solar plant in such a way that the plants get adequate sunlight and electricity is also generated. The speciality is that 16 types of vegetables and fruits are cultivated here.

What is agri-voltaic solar plant?

"For this, we set up pillars 13-14 feet above the ground and we could organic farming below it, so that the plants get ample sunlight," Jain explained. Anand Jain said, "One year ago, he started efforts to start a solar plant. He then contacted a private energy firm from Khargapur near Tikamgarh. I have been always associated with farming, escpecially organic farming and medicinal farming. Hence, I had a discussion with Manish Khare, the manager of the private energy company. Khare suggsted me to set up an agri-voltaic solar plant, which serves two purposes - electricity generation and organic farming."

IARI Scintist Calls It Biggest Plant:

Anand Jain, however, was unaware that it is the biggest agri-voltaic solar plant in the country. He, was however, aware that it was the biggest agri-voltaic solar plant in Madhya Pradesh. However, a few days ago, Dr DK Singh, head of New Delhi-based Indian Agricultural Research Institute visited the plant and termed it as the biggest agri-voltaic solar plant in the country. Jain said that those farmers who are keen to do such type of farming, must visit the plant.

Fruits and Vegetables cultivated through mulching:

Jain, who studied M.Tech in IIT-Roorkee in 1984-85 is fond of agriculture. "I am fond of farming since beginning. After I started this plant, I cultivated fruits and vegetables through mulching and grow 16 types of fruits and vegetables, including tomatoes, cucumber, muskmelons, watermelons and capcicum." "To cultivate strawberry in summers is a dream but is is being done at the plant," he quipped.

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