The Madhya Pradesh-based 'Drone Didis' project, which sought to support women farmers by using drones to spray fertilizer and pesticides, has encountered serious technical problems, mostly with the drones' batteries. The female farmers who control these drones have experienced job disruptions as a result of their malfunctioning drones, which were intended to increase agricultural efficiency.
Through the provision of equipment and training, the 'Drone Didis' program aims to increase the self-sufficiency of women farmers by raising their level of agricultural productivity. However, the drones are having trouble operating, particularly because their batteries are dying far sooner than anticipated.
The women who had hoped that these drones would lighten their workload and increase their revenue are getting impatient since many chores remain unattended as a result of this issue.
Recent Experiences Of “Drone Didis” With Drone Batteries
'Drone Didis' from Madhya Pradesh have shared their experiences with the broken drones in a number of districts, including Satna, Rewa, Sidhi, and Dewas.
Roshni Yadav, a farmer from Satna, operates drones in the areas of Nagaud and Rampur Baghelan. She explained that the short flight periods of drone batteries—often only a few minutes—cause the drones to crash and sustain damage. The job is further delayed since, after one of these collisions, the blades are usually damaged and require replacement, which can take up to ten days. As Roshni pointed out, while the drones function admirably in theory, it is not feasible to depend on them for reliable agricultural tasks due to battery problems. The additional challenge of traveling 40-50 kilometers to get the batteries or blades repaired also wastes significant time for the farmers.
Similar worries were expressed by other female farmers in Dewas, including Manju Didi from Khategaon and Nirmala from Tumdawada. Although they received training in Indore to fly the drones, their faith in the technology is waning. The drones' flight time was initially advertised as 30 minutes, however it has now been reported that the batteries only last 10 to 15 minutes, significantly reducing the area they can cover. Nirmala revealed that she had lately had to replace a crucial component since she was always afraid the drone would crash while it was operating. She also stressed how long it takes to charge the battery—it takes almost an hour to fully recharge for just fifteen minutes of flight time.
Manisha, another 'Drone Didi' from Sidhi, talked about similar challenges. She found the two batteries that came with her drone insufficient, even though she had received training in both Indore and Noida. She can't even cover three acres of land since her drone lands suddenly after five or seven minutes of flight. This is particularly problematic when working on larger fields. She noted that transporting the heavy drone is also a challenge, adding another layer of difficulty to the job.
Rewa's female farmers related similar experiences, pointing out that the drones could only spray one to 1.5 acres at a time due to their small tanks and weak batteries. This has resulted in inefficient operations, as they are forced to stop frequently to recharge the batteries, prolonging their work.
Despite these issues, the agriculture department remains optimistic about the future of the 'Drone Didis' program. In response to an NDTV inquiry, Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan acknowledged the battery issues. He reassured the women that more batteries are being provided as a solution to the problem.
Instead of the current setup of just one or two batteries, each 'Drone Didi' will now receive five batteries, allowing for continuous operation. It is anticipated that this enhancement will increase drone usage efficiency and decrease downtime due to battery depletion.
Final Thoughts
Currently, the 'Drone Didis' are paid between ₹ 300 and ₹ 500 per acre for spraying crops, and the drones, which weigh around 15 kg, were provided to the women free of cost by the government. The two batteries that were included with each drone haven't worked well enough to cover wider areas. As of now, 89 women self-help groups in Madhya Pradesh have received drones under this initiative. The central government intends to distribute 15,000 drones around the country with funding of ₹ 1,261 crore as part of its ambitious plans to extend the program.
Though the 'Drone Didis' idea has certainly had technical difficulties, the program still has a lot of potential. If the battery problems are fixed, it might completely change the way these female farmers tend to their crops and increase their level of independence. The government intends to solve these issues in order to develop a more productive, technology-driven approach to agriculture that will empower women and increase national output.
