ADRA Austria and ADRA Nepal, under Initiative for Agriculture Productivity and Commercialization (IAPAC) Project (EU funded project), supported 4 Barsha Pumps to the communities/beneficiaries in Dang District, Nepal to increase access to irrigation with the purpose to enhance vegetable production and productivity for the benefitting families.
In 2014, Climate-KIC, a European-union climate innovation initiative, selected a jury of entrepreneurs, financiers and business people to award funding to what they felt were Europe’s best clean-tech innovations of 2014. Taking first place was Dutch startup aQysta, a Delft University of Technology spin-off company that manufactures what's known as the Barsha irrigation pump. It can reportedly boost crop yields in developing nations by up to five times, yet requires no fuel or electricity to operate.
aQysta’s Barsha pump is a low-cost, innovative solution for small- and medium sized farmers to irrigate their fields without using any fuel or electricity to do so.
The hydro-powered pump easily implemented anywhere where there is flowing water nearby and requires very little maintenance. Although the Barsha pump (Nepalese for "rain pump") is a new product, it's based on a very old design – it has its origins in ancient Egypt.
The pump itself is essentially a water wheel on a floating platform, that's moored in a nearby flowing river. The moving water rotates the wheel, that in turn utilizes a spiral mechanism to compress air. That air drives water through an attached hose and up to the fields.
With the technology support from aQysta, Holland, this new technology has been introduced in Nepal. Thank you aQysta, Holland for the technology support and ADRA Austria for all kind of support!
ADRA Austria is serving the local population since 1992. Though fundraising and donations are an integral part of ADRA Austria’s mission, it provides so much more than financial support. Coordinating projects and volunteers at home and abroad, ADRA Austria has developed an adult literacy program, renewable energy solutions, and emotional support systems for victims of disaster within and beyond Austria.
