World Tribal Day: Phulwanti Meena,The Sole Drone Pilot in Rajasthan's Pratapgarh Village Skillfully Revolutionizing Agriculture

Pratapgarh- Typically, when one thinks of a tribal woman, a shy figure clad in a veil, working in her kitchen, holding a child, or tending to livestock comes to mind. However, in Pateliya village of Pratapgarh district, 27-year-old Phulwanti Meena has shattered this traditional image, creating a new identity for herself.

Phulwanti is the only tribal woman drone pilot in the district, skillfully operating a drone to spray fertilizers and pesticides in the fields.

Phulwanti is among the five individuals in the district, including three women, who have been provided with drones for agricultural purposes under the Prime Minister’s Drone Didis scheme. These drones were supplied by IFFCO, a government agency that sells fertilizers and seeds, which also provided a 15-day training program for the selected candidates.

Currently, nano fertilizers and pesticides are being sprayed by drones across Pratapgarh district. Banwari Lal Joshi is conducting spraying in the Chhoti Sadri block, while Shivlal Dhakad is covering areas like Jaloada Jagir, Manpura Jagir, and others. Additionally, Sarla Morya, Phoolwanti Meena, and Arpita Rathore are performing spraying in other regions of Pratapgarh using drones.

Phulwanti’s husband learned about the scheme when he went to the IFFCO outlet to purchase fertilizers and medicines for their fields. After applying, Phoolwanti was selected following an interview.

Phulwanti told The Mooknayak, “We received the drone in April 2024, after which the handover process was completed, and I finished the training in May. This is the first season I am handling the drone for the Kharif crops. IFFCO also provided an electric van where we can safely store the drone set, along with a generator set and batteries. Since handling the heavy equipment alone is difficult, my husband Sukhlal accompanies me, and we manage the work together.”

During the current Kharif season, Phulwanti and her husband are extremely busy with constant calls for drone services. The couple has two young children, a 6-year-old daughter and a 3.5-year-old son. Phulwanti says, “I prepare food for my family, and our daughter goes to school. We leave home around 8-9 am with our tiffin along. We take a short break for lunch and after attending all the calls, we return home around 7 pm. Sometimes we take our son with us, although he usually stays at home with his grandparents.”

She says that her husband Sukhlal is very supportive. A postgraduate in Hindi Literature, Sukhlal encourages his wife and has been a source of motivation in learning drone flying techniques.

Sukhlal mentions, "We were informed that the drone costs around 5-6 lakh rupees. Initially, Phulwanti was apprehensive about handling such an expensive machine, but gradually she gained confidence." Laughing, Phulwanti adds, "Oh, how can one trust something flying in the sky—how can you trust a machine soaring in the air?"

The couple says they must be very cautious during the rains, as the drone's radar can go out of control if exposed to rain. Therefore, they do not work when it rains.Phulwanti explains that she takes the drone to a height of one and a half meters above the crop. "In our region, maize is the crop that grows the tallest after it starts fruiting. It can reach over 2 meters in height, so we need to keep the drone at 1.5 meters above the crop."

There is a lot of enthusiasm for drone technology in the villages, and when they visit remote rural areas, crowds gather. The drone's battery lasts for about 15-20 minutes of continuous work, after which a second set needs to be used. Sukhlal mentions that the drone comes with four battery sets, with two batteries each. They travel daily in an EV (electric three-wheeler) provided by the company, which has a range of 60 to 80 kilometers. Phulwanti says, "Just yesterday, we received a message that in case of an emergency if the vehicle runs out of charge, it can be recharged using the generator kept in the vehicle." Currently, Sukhlal drives the vehicle, but Phulwanti is gradually learning to drive and hopes to drive herself in the future to attend calls so that Sukhlal can devote more time to farming.

Phulwanti highlights the benefits of drones, saying that they can precisely spray pesticides, herbicides, and other control products, ensuring crops receive the correct dosage. This reduces risks associated with manual application and increases the overall effectiveness of the products, leading to better yields for farmers.

Drones can significantly reduce the manual labor required for spraying pesticides and fertilizers and can be used for large areas of crops daily. Compared to manual spraying, drones use much less water and chemicals. Sukhlal adds that while spraying pesticides or fertilizers on a large field used to take an entire day, the same task now takes just one or two hours with the drone.

Phulwanti says that July and August are the main months for Kharif crops, while December and January are crucial for the Rabi season when there will be demand for drone services. Since Pratapgarh does not grow much vegetable crops, the couple notes that they will not have work during the remaining 8 months. "If there is a demand for services from surrounding districts where vegetables are grown year-round, we can go there." Currently, with 3 to 5 calls daily, Phoolwanti earns up to 1,000 rupees, which can amount to 30,000 rupees a month.

How to Use Drone Services:

Farmers need to download the mobile app named “IFFCO Kisan Uday” from the Google Play Store to arrange for spraying of pesticides and fertilizers in their fields. Through this app, farmers can access drones for spraying nano fertilizers and other recommended chemicals based on availability in their area.

Using drones for spraying nano fertilizers can help farmers reduce time, labor, water, and farming costs, thus enhancing crop production and income.

Farmers can directly contact entrepreneurs for spraying services. IFFCO provides spraying of nano urea, nano DAP, liquid Sagarika, and other recommended medicines at affordable rates and within a short time frame. The drone has a capacity of 10 liters, sufficient for approximately one acre (2 to 2.5 bigha). The maximum spraying time is 10 to 15 minutes, with a cost of 300 rupees per acre (150 rupees per bigha).