Now, they are proud to have found a cheaper, noise-free and pollution-free way of irrigating their farms, using the sun’s energy. And as a bonus, they are also earning by selling the surplus energy.
With the intervention of International Water Management Institute (IWMI) and Sir Ratan Tata Trust through the IWMI-Tata Water Policy Research Program (ITP), farmers in Dhundi are now harvesting the sun’s energy and are no more dependent on diesel generators for irrigating their farms. Before the advent of solar energy in Dhundi, there were 50 diesel generators for as many irrigation pumps in the village, said Rahul Rathod, a consultant with IWMI. “Now, the farmers and their families have not only got rid of the noise, diesel fumes and spending on diesel, but are also selling solar energy worth thousands,” Rathod said.
Population pressure and increasing water competition in a changing climate require us to take stock of the availability and use of water across scales. Water availability not only influences farmers’ commercial prospects but also irrigation-related enterprises and agri-businesses. Greater water scarcity could jeopardize irrigation and agricultural markets while excessive water use can lead to declining ecosystems, water quality and soil health. IWMI advises development partners and the public and private sectors on all aspects of water resource availability and use through a variety of advanced modeling and remote-sensing products and tools, including 
The ability of farmers to engage in or expand irrigation depends on the prevailing socioeconomic, ecological and political contexts, which are often complex, non-linear and changeable. Overcoming systemic barriers to farmer-led irrigation development while taking advantage of existing opportunities 
A lack of affordable credit, particularly for women and resource-poor farmers, is one of the main barriers to expanding farmer-led irrigation in low- and middle-income countries. But 
Scaling farmer-led irrigation requires strengthening human capacity and knowledge exchange among all actors and stakeholders involved. IWMI takes an action research approach, working with national and international research institutions, governments, extension agents and public and private organizations to co-develop the scaling ecosystem and strengthen capacity to drive scaling networks and collective action. We support the