Ashoknagar, Madhya Pradesh - Solar Pumps Tool Ashoknagar, Madhya Pradesh | Solar Pumps Tool Humane ClubMade with Humane Club

Ashoknagar, Madhya Pradesh

Horticulture crops occupy a relatively low proportion of gross cropped area in the district, diminishing the economic viability of solar pumps here. Overall, water availability for irrigation in the district (based on ground water development and long-term trends of water level decline) is within the safe limit, enhancing 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 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.

Deployment Approaches

Approaches Feasibility
Individually owned off-grid solar pumps Suitable
Solarisation of feeders Limited Suitability
Solar based water as a service Limited Suitability
Promote 1 HP and sub-HP pumps Limited Suitability
Solarisation of individual grid-connected pumps Limited suitability

Individually owned off-grid solar pumps

Suitable

Availability of groundwater within the safe limit, a comparatively high concentration of diesel pump users, a relatively high crop revenue per holding, and institutional credit disbursed in relatively large amounts in the district make it a suitable candidate for the promotion of solar-based irrigation through the private ownership of solar pumps. Private ownership provides easy and reliable access to irrigation for farmers.

Parameter Value Percentile
Number of cultivators reporting use of diesel pumps 23,441 57
Water Availability Index 1 100
Crop revenue per holding (INR) 180,423 82
Medium and long term institutional credit disbursed in a year (in INR Crore) 0 0

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) 5.98 45
Extent of feeder segregation 94% 61
Proportion of cultivators reporting use of electric pumps 17% 65

Solar based water as a service

Limited Suitability

Groundwater availability in the district is within the safe limit. But, a rather low concentration of small and marginal farmers and a relatively low proportion of unirrigated area make it difficult to promote solar-based irrigation through the water-as-a-service model here.

Parameter Value Percentile
Water Availability Index 1 100
Proportion of small and marginal cultivators 63% 15
Unirrigated net sown area as a share of total net sown area 48% 39

Promote 1 HP and sub-HP pumps

Limited Suitability

The district has a comparatively high disbursement of institutional credit to marginal farmers and groundwater availability is within the safe limit. But, a rather low concentration of marginal farmers and a relatively low proportion of horticulture crops under gross cropped area limits the suitability of 1 HP and sub-HP pumps in the district.

Parameter Value Percentile
Area under horticulture crops as a share of gross cropped area 2% 25
Water Availability Index 1 100
Proportion of marginal cultivators 36% 18
Medium and long term institutional credit disbursed in a year (in INR Crore) 0 0

Solarisation of individual grid-connected pumps

Limited suitability

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 the relatively low power subsidy for agriculural consumers make solarisation of individual grid-connected pumps an inefficient way of enhancing solar pumps in the district.

Parameter Value Percentile
Water Availability Index 1 100
Actual cost of power supply (INR/kWh) 5.98 45
Extent of feeder segregation 94% 61

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 2% 25

Per Drop More Crop

In the district, crops suitable for drip and sprinkler irrigation occupy a relatively high proportion of gross cropped area, making it easy to adopt such high precision irrigation methods. Solar pumps, along with other efficient and precise water application devices, could be deployed under Per Drop More Crop to promote efficient irrigation.

Parameter Value Percentile
Area under crops suitable for drip and sprinkler irrigation as a share of total cropped area 29% 61

Ashoknagar, Madhya Pradesh
Summary
Number of operational holdings
140,604
Average size of operational holding (Ha)
2.08
No. of cultivators using diesel pumps
23,441
No. of cultivators using electric pumps
24,040
Parameters (value, percentile)
Unirrigated net sown area ('000 ha)
132
71
Area under horticulture crops as a share of gross cropped area
2%
25
Water Availability Index
1
100
Monthly per capita expenditure of rural agricultural households (INR)
1,579
77
Crop revenue per holding (INR)
180,423
82
No. of rural and semi-urban bank branches per 10,000 farmers
5.19
29
Medium and long-term institutional credit disbursed in a year (in INR Crore)
0
0
No. of calls made at Kisan Call Centre (between 1.1.2011 - 31.12.2015)
1,140
46
Level of farm mechanisation (tractors, harvesters, threshers per ha)
0.32
56