Expensive Batteries Ground Government’s Drone Didi Scheme

 Hello guys, as you have read my other blogs this one would be different and close to my heart from others because, I interviewed some real people on the scheme of drone didi, which captivates me to explore more about the scheme. 

I was eager to learn about the people and meet them in real life for the first time. In this blog, I share what I learned about the scheme

In the quiet village of Onambakkam in Tamil Nadu’s Chengalpattu district,  D. Muniyammal (36), a farmer, had high hopes of using drones to spray fertiliser,  reduce labour costs, and double her monthly income from her 4-acre land. 

Muniyammal’s hopes stood ground when she learned about the Namo Drone Didi  scheme while purchasing pesticides from Fertilisers and Chemicals Travancore  Limited (FACT), a fertiliser supplier company. She had an opportunity to use drones to  make fertiliser dispersion more efficient and increase crop production in her rice farm. 

The Drone Didi initiative, in partnership with government bodies like Indian Farmers  Fertilizer Cooperative Limited (IFFCO) and FACT, trains self-help groups in drone  technology for agricultural purposes. The program aims to empower women, helping  them adopt cutting-edge methods to increase yields and reduce manual labour. After  applying for the scheme, women receive seven days of free training at Agni College of  Technology, Chennai. After passing the test conducted by Agni College and FACT, the  women are officially recognized as the "Drone Didi" of their district 

The farmer’s excitement fell flat when the government provided only one battery for  her drone when she needed three to operate it efficiently. Each battery cost  Rs1,50,000, which was far beyond what she could afford. "I can't operate the drone on  my farm and I’m earning just Rs 40,000-50,000 a month. How can I afford batteries  worth lakhs?,” said Muniyammal.

The situation left her with no choice but to consider abandoning the idea of using  drones altogether and returning to traditional farming methods. The lack of financial  support and the difficulty of securing loans only increased her troubles. 

The Drone Didi scheme was allocated 15,000 drones with a budget of Rs 1,261 crore.  FACT received 100 drones out of the 1,000 allocated for Tamil Nadu and has trained  50 female farmers so far. The government covers 80% of the expenses and any  additional expenses like accommodation, registration fees, and food are incurred by  FACT. These expenses amount to Rs 50,000 per cultivator. “There is a need for further  subsidies to support farmers,” said K. Rakesh, an official from FACT. 

M. Usha, a farmer from Thenkurissy in Kerala’s Palakkad district also learned about the  drone scheme from FACT. Similar to Muniyammal, Usha faced operational challenges,  particularly with the battery life of drones. The drone, weighing around 30 kg, required 

at least 10 minutes of charging to cover just one acre of land. Transporting the bulky  equipment became a problem during the monsoon season, and it frequently broke  down due to water damage. 

Usha realised that the drone was still more efficient than manual fertilizing, saving  both time and labour costs. The government should give 100% funding for the  purchase of drones, said Usha. Other Indian farmers face similar obstacles in adopting  drone technology. 

Rakesh said the Tamil Nadu State Rural Livelihood Mission (TNSRLM) is responsible  for providing additional financial support to the Didis and farmers, however, they fail to  do so. 


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