For years, farmers in this small Haryana village woke up every morning with fear—fear of dry soil, wasted diesel, failing crops, and unpredictable rains. Today, that fear has been replaced with confidence, thanks to a 17-year-old Class 12 student, Sharanya Mehta, whose smart irrigation system is quietly changing farming in rural India.
Sharanya has built a Decision Support System (DSS) — an intelligent, voice-enabled irrigation app that uses soil sensors, satellite data, and real-time weather insights to tell farmers exactly when and how much to irrigate. The result? Saves water, saves diesel, saves effort — and saves crops.
A Village That Lived on Guesswork
Before Sharanya’s innovation, irrigation was a gamble.
“Every morning I was anxious,” recalls farmer Ramesh Chandra Dahiya.
“Sometimes the soil looked dry on top but was wet inside — and I wasted diesel for nothing. Sometimes I watered too late and the crops suffered.”
This uncertainty had become a way of life for farmers.
A Teenager Who Saw Their Pain & Decided to Fix It
Sharanya’s inspiration goes back to her childhood summers in Alwar. Watching cracked soil, dying crops, and helpless farmers made her ask a simple question:
“Why should farmers guess when they can know?”
Her curiosity turned into small experiments, then into Project Jal, then into research on check dams — and finally into a full-scale scientific system guided by mentor Commodore Sridhar Kotra of Agrimatrix India.
The Tech Behind the Transformation
By 2025, her idea became a functioning real-world model.
Her DSS combines:
Soil moisture sensors (at 0–30 cm and 30–60 cm)
Satellite data via ISRO Bhuvan & Sentinel-2
Weather forecasts for rainfall, wind & evaporation
Cloud computing (AWS/Azure)
Simple voice-enabled app in Hindi, Tamil, Marathi & more
Offline mode when networks fail
Pump controllers for automated irrigation
The app shows colour-coded moisture maps, two-week schedules, alerts, and audio guidance — all designed after asking farmers what they need.
From Lab to Fields: What Changed in Mandaura
The project unfolded over months:
●She visited farms, mapped their soil, and heard their struggles
●Sensors were installed
●Satellite and weather data were integrated
●Farmers tested early versions
●The system was refined again and again based on their feedback
By August 2025, full-field trials began. The change was immediate.
“Now I check the app, not the sky.”
Farmer Jagvir Singh says:
“Earlier I trusted my eyes. Now I trust the DSS.
If the app says don’t water today, I don’t — and the crop still thrives.”
Another farmer, Ram Parmar, adds:
“I used to water based on habit. Now I water based on need.
Diesel, labour, effort — all reduced.”
Recognition & Impact
In August 2025, Sharanya received the CREST Gold Award for her breakthrough innovation. She also secured a provisional patent for her DSS system — covering its decision engine, real-time data integrations, and multilingual interface.
A Solution India Urgently Needs
With agriculture consuming 83% of India’s freshwater, and climate extremes rising, efficient irrigation is not just helpful — it’s necessary for India’s future.
Sharanya’s DSS brings clarity where guessing once ruled. It brings science where fear once lived. And it brings hope to farmers who deserve better tools — not more uncertainty.
A Teen Innovator Lighting the Path Ahead
Mandaura’s fields today reflect something new:
Healthy crops. Relaxed farmers. And confidence rooted in knowledge.
All sparked by a Class 12 student who chose to solve a problem instead of just observing it.
