Innovation story: How to innovate based on your budget and strength. 01/24

I own a farm that lacks electricity, and the cost of obtaining it is prohibitive. The farm is adjacent to a dam, so I procured a petrol engine pump to draw water and fill a 10,000 liter overhead water tank. In June 2023, I planted 300 fruit trees on the land, and a diligent lady caretaker oversees their growth.

The caretaker uses a hose connected to overhead water tank to water the plants. Each tree requires approximately 9-10 liters of water twice a week.

However, the challenge arises during the summer season when the dam’s water level drops, especially between April and June. Options like borewells were ruled out due to the lack of electricity, and purchasing water from tankers was expensive. Drip irrigation was also costly and required electric pumping, while manual irrigation consumed a lot of water.

After conducting some research and consulting with experts, I implemented the buried clay pot irrigation method. A whole earthen pot with a capacity of 3 liters is buried, and through reverse osmosis and some perspiration, the plant roots absorb the water. This method requires only 3 liters of water per plant per week. The plants have been thriving for the past two weeks with this irrigation method alone, thanks to the caretaker’s diligent and expert management.

Similarly, in my office, we had skilled Tableau resources. So, instead of opting for expensive vendor-based readymade solutions, we developed an Incentive Compensation dashboard on Tableau, which has been quite successful.

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