Abstract
To help tackle drought-related farmer suicides, a new design of a rain
simulator, recently patented is presented (Patent no. 351688, Govt. of
India Patent Office). This is versatile and yields showers with
near-identical drop-size distributions when compared to natural showers.
It is useful for many applications requiring controlled hydration from
showers instead of relying on root hydration alone. The apparatus is
soon to be rolled out to farmers in the Indian State of Tamil Nadu. It
is portable, and with a cost of under USD 1000 a piece, can alter
patterns of cropland hydration even when a monsoon fails.