Bangladesh's BRAC has rolled out Ponkhiraj, a solar-powered "flying horse" vehicle that helps farmers water their fields without relying on expensive diesel.
With global fuel prices spiking due to conflicts abroad, Ponkhiraj offers a much-needed alternative, using solar panels to run a powerful pump that can deliver up to 60,000-liter of water per hour.
Ponkhiraj slashes irrigation costs to $0.80
Here's the cool part: Ponkhiraj slashes irrigation costs from about $8 per hectare (with diesel) down to just 80 cents. That's huge for rural farmers trying to keep up with rising expenses.
Plus, since it runs on solar power and doesn't produce toxic emissions, it's way better for the environment.
BRAC is now in the process of building more Ponkhirajs, with an eye toward bringing the technology to other developing nations outside Bangladesh.