Resource detail

Over the last two decades, International Development Enterprises India (IDEI) has championed and promoted the treadle pump. The treadle pump is an affordable irrigation technology that enables a smallholder farmer to not just buy it but also use it and overcome the primary/entry level barrier of accessing water for irrigation and therefore year round cultivation. IDEI has successfully promoted it with over 870, 000 smallholder households (over 4.5 million people) who have already adopted the treadle pump. IDEI works on the market based approach and establishes private (non-exclusive) supply chain comprising of manufacturers, dealers and installers who manufacture, sell and install the treadle pump.

Outcome/Benefits: Treadle pumps are best suited to irrigate about one acre of land (smallholder farmers in India own less than this). The average water discharge is about 4000 litres/ hour to a maximum depth of 8 meters. Farmers on an average pump 6-7 hours a day to irrigate their field. Treadle pumps are environment friendly and easy to use. Foot operation over hands makes it least fatiguing when compared with other traditional devices. The treadle pumps enable farmers to irrigate their lands throughout the year thereby helping them overcome monsoon dependent cultivation. They replace the use of conventional diesel pumps thereby saving diesel and contributing to carbon emission reduction. TUV Nord has verified greenhouse gas savings from avoided diesel as 0.477 tonnes/ year CO2 per pump.

Commercially tested: Yes

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