Mobiles can take control over the irrigation pumpset's

Now, mobiles can take control over the pumpsets from anywhere in the world through a phone call.

The device called as 'Nano Ganesh' will be priced between Rs.560 and Rs.1700 will be commercially launched on 23rd September in Pune. The device helps a farmer to switch on/off the pumpset through a call made by a mobile or a land line phone or even a PCO phone from anywhere in the world.

Santosh Hiralal Ostwal, established a research and development center to develop the product in Pune in 1996. He developed a mobile modem, which controls the starter of the pump set. The modem along with a mobile phone, which interfaces a 440 volt system, is attached to the starter panel of the pumpset. On the deployment of the system, a pre-set code is given to the farmer to switch on/off the pumpset. In order to switch on the set a farmer has to call up the number of the mobile phone attached in the starter panel. One can confirm the availability of the power in the pumpset by a long beep sound, which will be signaled from the receiving end during the call Followed by the confirmation of availability of the power, the caller has to dial a preset code provided for the user to switch on the pump set. Once the code is dialed the user has to confirm his function by a feedback tone and then cut the call. For switching off the pumpset, the same process has to be repeated and a different preset code is entered to switch off the pumpset.

To make the phones easily accessible to the farmer community, Santosh deployed basic phones like Nokia 1100. To ease the system of deployment, the company provides the buyer with a CD, an instruction manual and a wiring diagram along with the product explaining in a step by step way to fit and use 'Nano Ganesh'. The modem is also available with a theft proof inbuilt device called 'Nano Ganesh Hanuman', whereby its installation will also ensure alert in case of theft attempt near the pump area related to pumpset cable, panel or pump itself.

"Our next targeted states will be Gujarat, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh and Andhra Pradesh," says Santosh. Currently, he has covered the outskirts of Maharastra, and already around 300 units of the device in the trial phase are sold till date.

Commenting on the product, Prakash Sayini, Business Development Manager, Nokia Forum says, "The level of innovation possible through mobile is seen in this product."