A major activity in Karnataka, is to increase irrigated area under cultivation. The farmers are encouraged to set up pump sets to lift water mostly from wells. The percentage of electrical energy consumed by I.P sets is increasing; a large number of people manufacture such sets resulting in some non-standard sets also; farmers buy normally I.P. sets with higher capacities so as to avoid burning of motors; there is no proper advice mechanism to help farmers in selection and maintenance. Hence, it is desirable to see how the energy is consumed. A number of student projects sponsored by the State Council of Science and Technology studied this problem. The efficiencies varied from 42.3% to 78.1% in one case; from 10% to 69.4% in the second case; 10.3% to 21.8% in a third case. The outputs in most of the cases studied are less than half the rated values, and in some cases, even less than one fourth rated value. These studies indicate that there is a considerable scope for improving the efficiency of such sets.

Since the Electricity Boards, normally, feel that the supply of power and energy to I.P. sets is uneconomical, it is desirable and imperative to look for;

a) Improved efficiency I.P. sets;

b) New concepts in shared I.P. sets;

c) Alternate pumps operated manually or by bullocks and

d) Pumps operated by decentralised, local energy sources like biogas.

A number of student projects in Engineering Colleges have been sponsored to design pumps operated manually or by bullocks. Pumps based on foot/pedal/wheel operations and bellows/piston/diaphragm types have been designed, and fabricated under this programme. Unfortunately, they have not been field tested so far.

A few farmers have started sharing their I.P. sets. Such a situation will improve load factor, reduce maximum load on the power system and thereby reduce cost of lines and other associated equipment, improve efficiency and result in better management and maintainence practices.