A ‘Drone Didi’ along with her mini flying machine used to spray pesticides
Bhopal:
There was a variety of discuss ‘Drone Didis’ throughout the, however the initiative meant to empower ladies farmers in Madhya Pradesh has hit a roadblock. The drones given to them for spraying fertilisers and pesticides have been malfunctioning as a result of battery points. After flying for only a few minutes, the drones land abruptly, leaving a lot of the work incomplete, the ladies farmers stated.
The federal government had given the mini flying machines to the ‘Drone Didis’ to make them self-reliant in agriculture. The plan to empower them is, nevertheless, struggling as a result of issues with the drone batteries.
‘Drone Didis’ districts together with Satna, Rewa, Sidhi, and Dewas shared their irritating expertise.
Roshni Yadav, a farmer in Satna, makes use of a drone in Nagaud and Rampur Baghelan. She instructed EDNBOX it could be a miracle if her drone labored for even a couple of minutes.
“The drone crashes when the battery dies and damages its blades. It takes eight-ten days to get the blades changed. The drone works effectively, however the farmers are usually not happy. When the battery dies, travelling 40-50 km wastes our time,” Ms Yadav stated.
In Dewas, Manju Didi from Khategaon and Nirmala from Tumdawada additionally function drones to spray pesticide. They acquired coaching in Indore, however each are anxious in regards to the reliability of the drone batteries. Promised a 30-minute flight time, the batteries barely final 10-Quarter-hour now, they stated.
“I am all the time scared that the drone might crash. I needed to change a key half lately. It flies just for Quarter-hour and takes over an hour to cost it,” Nirmala stated.
Manisha, one other ‘Drone Didi’ from Sidhi, shared an analogous expertise. Her drone lands simply after five-seven minutes of flight, she stated. Regardless of receiving coaching in Indore and Noida, the 2 batteries she was given have been insufficient for protecting even three acres of land.
“Initially, we labored in small fields, however after we moved to bigger fields of 8-10 acres, it turned a serious concern. After spraying two acres, the battery dies, after which it takes time to recharge. Transporting the drone can also be a trouble as a result of its weight,” Manisha instructed EDNBOX.
‘Drone Didis’ in Rewa, too, reported the identical issues – as a result of weak battery backup and a small tank, the drones can solely spray 1 to 1.5 acres at a time.
The agriculture division stays optimistic although. When EDNBOX contacted Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, he acknowledged the battery downside and guaranteed the ladies that as an alternative of 1 battery, each ‘Drone Didi’ will get 5, permitting steady use.
“There was a difficulty with the drone’s battery – the flight time was very quick. Now, as an alternative of only one, we’ll give them 5 batteries. If one battery runs out, they’ll have 4 as backup, permitting them to maintain flying the drone constantly,” stated Mr Chouhan.
The ‘Drone Didis’ are paid between Rs 300 and Rs 500 per acre for spraying, and the 15-kg drones have been offered to them free of charge by the federal government. The ladies acquired two batteries with the drones.
Until date, 89 ladies self-help teams in Madhya Pradesh have been given drones underneath this initiative. The central authorities additionally plans to distribute 15,000 drones nationwide, with a price range of Rs 1,261 crore.