Amritsar, Punjab - Solar Pumps Tool Amritsar, Punjab | Solar Pumps Tool Humane ClubMade with Humane Club

Amritsar, Punjab

It has a relatively small proportion of its net sown area unirrigated, indicating poor irrigation demand. Horticulture crops occupy a relatively low proportion of gross cropped area in the district, diminishing the economic viability of solar pumps here. Overall, the water availability for irrigation in the district (based on ground water development and long-term trends of water level decline) is critical since the resource is overexploited, jeopardizing the long-term sustainability of solar pumps. The average monthly per capita expenditure of rural agricultural households is relatively high for the district, suggesting higher purchasing capacity of the farmers here. For average crop revenue per holding, the district appears among the top 25 percentile of districts, implying higher investment capacity of the farmers here. The district has a relatively high penetration of banks in rural and semi-rural areas, facilitating higher access to institutional credit for farmers. The number of medium and long-term institutional loans disbursed in the district is comparatively large, suggesting the availability of credit amongst farmers for potential investments. It has a relatively low proportion of small and marginal farmers. The district appears in the group of districts, which show (very) low vulnerability towards climate change, as per an index constructed by CRIDA.

Deployment Approaches

Approaches Feasibility
Individually owned off-grid solar pumps Limited Suitability
Solarisation of feeders Limited Suitability
Solar based water as a service Not Suitable
Promote 1 HP and sub-HP pumps Not Suitable
Solarisation of individual grid-connected pumps Not suitable

Individually owned off-grid solar pumps

Limited Suitability

The district has a relatively high disbursement of institutional credit and high crop revenue per holding. However, ground water availability is below the safe limit, and concentration of diesel pump users is comparatively low, making it very difficult to promote the private ownership of solar pumps here.

Parameter Value Percentile
Number of cultivators reporting use of diesel pumps 11,068 43
Water Availability Index 0.11 7
Crop revenue per holding (INR) 366,382 94
Medium and long term institutional credit disbursed in a year (in INR Crore) 2,047.20 100

Solarisation of feeders

Limited Suitability

The district has a relatively high penetration of electric pumps and a comparatively high extent of feeder segregation but its DISCOM incurs a relatively low cost for supplying power. As the power purchase rate of the DISCOM increases going forward, solarisation of the feeders may become economically viable in the district.

Parameter Value Percentile
Actual cost of power supply (INR/kWh) 5.94 41
Extent of feeder segregation 95% 65
Proportion of cultivators reporting use of electric pumps 67% 96

Solar based water as a service

Not Suitable

The district has a rather low concentration of small and marginal farmers and a relatively low proportion of unirrigated area. Moreover, groundwater availability is below the safe limit, making it extremely difficult to promote solar-based irrigation through the water-as-a-service model here.

Parameter Value Percentile
Water Availability Index 0.11 7
Proportion of small and marginal cultivators 37% 8
Unirrigated net sown area as a share of total net sown area 0% 0

Promote 1 HP and sub-HP pumps

Not Suitable

The district has a comparatively high disbursement of institutional credit to marginal farmers. But, a rather low concentration of marginal farmers, a relatively low proportion of horticulture crops under gross cropped area, and groundwater availability below the safe limit make it extremely difficult to promote 1 HP and sub-HP pumps here.

Parameter Value Percentile
Area under horticulture crops as a share of gross cropped area 1% 14
Water Availability Index 0.11 7
Proportion of marginal cultivators 12% 6
Medium and long term institutional credit disbursed in a year (in INR Crore) 2,047.20 100

Solarisation of individual grid-connected pumps

Not suitable

The district has a relatively high penetration of electric pumps, ground water available within the safe limits and a comparatively high extent of feeder segregation but agriculture power subsidy is not very significant. Further with the groundwater availability below the safe limits, solarisation of individual grid-connected pumps may not be the right approach for the district

Parameter Value Percentile
Water Availability Index 0.11 7
Actual cost of power supply (INR/kWh) 5.94 41
Extent of feeder segregation 95% 65

Leveraging Solar Pumps to Promote Policy Objectives

If you are deploying solar pumps in this district then you can further these policy objectives.

Doubling Farmers’ Income – Crop Diversification

In the district, horticulture crops occupy a relatively low proportion of gross cropped area, indicating an opportunity for growing more high value non-staple crops. Solar-powered irrigation could be an alternative source of reliable irrigation, making it easier to achieve crop diversification and enhance farmers’ incomes.

Parameter Value Percentile
Area under horticulture crops as a share of gross cropped area 1% 14

National Mission on Oilseeds and Oil Palm (NMOOP)

The relatively low share of oilseeds and oil palm crops under gross sown area in the district makes it a suitable candidate for promoting NMOOP. Solar pumps could meet irrigation needs for these crops and help farmers diversify their yields beyond cereals.

Parameter Value Percentile
Area under oilseeds as a share of total cropped area 13

Amritsar, Punjab
Summary
Number of operational holdings
69,869
Average size of operational holding (Ha)
3.16
No. of cultivators using diesel pumps
11,068
No. of cultivators using electric pumps
46,959
Parameters (value, percentile)
Unirrigated net sown area ('000 ha)
0
0
Area under horticulture crops as a share of gross cropped area
1%
14
Water Availability Index
0.11
7
Monthly per capita expenditure of rural agricultural households (INR)
2,112
91
Crop revenue per holding (INR)
366,382
94
No. of rural and semi-urban bank branches per 10,000 farmers
34.35
96
Medium and long-term institutional credit disbursed in a year (in INR Crore)
2,047.20
100
No. of calls made at Kisan Call Centre (between 1.1.2011 - 31.12.2015)
5,979
92
Level of farm mechanisation (tractors, harvesters, threshers per ha)
0.17
43