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Indian water pumps are losing out in sales to Chinese pumps in Uttar Pradesh's Gorakhpur District due to competitive prices. Farmers are finding the Chinese water pumps handier, cheaper and more fuel efficient than Indian pumps. "Chinese water pumps are much better as they are available for just 5,000-6,000 rupees. It is easy to carry them and they consume less diesel in comparison to Indian water pumps. Their pipes are also very cheap and life is longer than Indian water pumps," said Amirul Hassan, a farmer. Earlier Indian pumps were available at a price of Rs 18,000- 20,000, but their prices have been decreased to Rs 12,000-15,000. But in spite of decreased prices, the Indian pumps are not finding many takers. "Sale of Chinese water pumps will affect the Indian market a lot as China has a mass-scale production and we have an open market here. People buy whatever they like. Indian water pumps are also good but they are rejected by farmers because of their heavy weight and high diesel consumption," said Neeraj Asthana, another farmer. Meanwhile, dealers said that Indian water pumps have a higher resale value. "Indian water pumps consume 500 grams of diesel whereas Chinese water pumps consume 400 grams of diesel. But Indian water pumps have more resale value as compared to Chinese water pumps. So, the demand for Chinese water pumps will surely decrease," said Surendra, a dealer. According to environmentalists, water pumps affect groundwater levels, and too much usage has caused the water table to lower significantly.

Chinese water pumps beat out Indian counterparts in Uttar Pradesh