Indian farmers check and control water pumps remotely using their mobiles

Again and again, I find myself amazed with cool and useful uses of mobile technology. On that note, we bring you this story which involves India’s mobile operator Tata Teleservices and agri-tech company Ossian Agro, and how they help farmers monitor and switch on irrigation pumps remotely.

The problem is that farmers in the country routinely walk several kilometres to water their crops, and sometimes they find out that there’s no electricity available to power their irrigation pumps. Enter Nano Ganesh, the system which enables farmers to dial a code from any phone to a mobile modem attached to the pump’s starter, and which informs them [farmers] whether electricity is available. Moreover, it also allows farmers to remotely switch the pump on or off.

As you’re probably figured out, Ossian Agro developed the system, which at the moment is being trialled in two villages in the state of Gujarat. The price of the wireless device connected to the pump’s starter is INR 2700 ($56), and there’s also the phone cost… More information is available from a dedicated website.