Drone Didis of Varanasi: Empowering Women and Transforming Agricultural Technology

Key Takeaways

Women in Varanasi are transforming agriculture by operating drones for spraying nano urea and pesticides.
The Namo Drone Didi scheme trains women from self-help groups to utilize drone technology, enhancing productivity.
This initiative not only increases income for women but also promotes efficiency in farming practices.

Empowering Women Through Drone Technology in Agriculture

In the Mehandi Ganj area near Varanasi, Neetu Singh, a mother of three, has embraced drone technology to spray nano urea on her crops. Initially met with skepticism from local farmers, the adoption of drones has sparked an agricultural revolution, saving time and money while providing women operators with an additional source of income.

Neetu, along with other women like Asha Devi from Harahua, attended a fortnight’s training program in Prayagraj under the Namo Drone Didi scheme, aimed at empowering women-led self-help groups. The training covered essential skills in drone operation, particularly for agricultural spraying tasks. Equipped with the skills, Neetu recalls how they had to demonstrate the technology to gain farmers’ trust, with many eventually contacting them by phone for their services.

Each drone operator now earns ₹300 per acre for spraying, compared to the labor-intensive manual process that can take up to four hours for the same area. Neetu has sprayed 148 liters of nano urea and 58.6 liters of pesticides on 300 acres, generating an income of ₹75,000. In contrast, Asha earned ₹20,000, citing a more modest scope due to a smaller farmer base in her area.

The initiative, supported by Hindustan Urvarak and Rasayan Ltd (HURL) and IFFCO, provides drones at no cost to the participants, which enables them to further their agricultural endeavors. Sravan Kumar Singh, district mission manager for the National Mission of Rural Livelihood in Varanasi, notes that the Namo Drone Didi scheme targets 15,000 women from self-help groups, aiming to enhance their income by at least ₹1 lakh per year.

Both Neetu and Asha emphasize the need for broader awareness campaigns to showcase the benefits of drone spraying, as it significantly saves farmers’ time, enabling them to focus on other agricultural tasks. The initiative not only fosters women’s economic empowerment but also represents a step toward sustainable agricultural practices in the region.

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