By Faridat Salifu
In drought-prone villages of northern India, where farmers often rely on instinct to decide when to water their crops, a new technology is helping them save water, fuel and harvests.
The innovation comes from 17-year-old Sharanya Mehta, a Class 12 student who developed a voice-enabled Decision Support System (DSS) app that turns soil and weather data into real-time irrigation advice.
Farmers in Mandaura, Sonipat, are now using the system to monitor soil moisture, forecast rainfall and adjust irrigation schedules through simple voice and visual prompts in local languages.
Sharanya began her journey under Project Jal, an initiative she launched in Class 9 after visiting drought-hit villages with her grandfather and witnessing the toll of water scarcity on crops and livelihoods.
The DSS combines soil sensors, satellite data from ISRO Bhuvan and Sentinel-2, and weather forecasts to calculate when and how much water each crop needs.
Even without internet access, farmers can check colour-coded moisture maps and receive alerts offline, helping them avoid overwatering or wasting diesel on unnecessary pumping.
Working with Commodore Sridhar Kotra of Agrimatrix India Pvt Ltd, Sharanya fine-tuned the system to make it farmer-friendly, cost-effective and suitable for smallholders.
Field tests in Mandaura showed water use fell by nearly 30 per cent, diesel costs declined, and crop growth improved during dry spells.
The innovation earned Sharanya the CREST Gold Award and a provisional patent, marking a milestone for India’s growing community of youth-led agri-tech innovators.
Experts say such data-driven tools could play a vital role in making India’s agriculture more climate-resilient, as the sector accounts for more than 80 per cent of national water consumption.
Source: The Better India.
