It has a relatively small proportion of its net sown area unirrigated, indicating poor irrigation demand. 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 low for the district, suggesting poor purchasing capacity of the farmers here. The district appears in the group of districts, which are (very) highly vulnerable 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 | 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
Limited Suitability
The district has ground water available within the safe limit, a comparatively high concentration of diesel pump users, and high crop revenue per holding, but has a relatively low disbursement of institutional credit. Long-term bank loans should be promoted in the district to enable the adoption of capital-intensive farm technologies, including solar pumps.
Parameter | Value | Percentile |
---|---|---|
Number of cultivators reporting use of diesel pumps | 25,217 | 58 |
Water Availability Index | 1 | 100 |
Crop revenue per holding (INR) | 111,254 | 62 |
Medium and long term institutional credit disbursed in a year (in INR Crore) | 18.7 | 44 |
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) | 5.28 | 24 |
Extent of feeder segregation | 100% | 69 |
Proportion of cultivators reporting use of electric pumps | 6% | 46 |
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 | 61% | 13 |
Unirrigated net sown area as a share of total net sown area | 93% | 86 |
Promote 1 HP and sub-HP pumps
Limited Suitability
Groundwater availability in the district is within the safe limit. But, a rather low concentration of marginal farmers, a comparatively low disbursement of institutional credit to them and a relatively low proportion of horticulture crops under gross cropped area limit the demand for 1 HP and sub-HP pumps here.
Parameter | Value | Percentile |
---|---|---|
Area under horticulture crops as a share of gross cropped area | 6% | 51 |
Water Availability Index | 1 | 100 |
Proportion of marginal cultivators | 35% | 18 |
Medium and long term institutional credit disbursed in a year (in INR Crore) | 18.7 | 44 |
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) | 5.28 | 24 |
Extent of feeder segregation | 100% | 69 |
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 | 6% | 51 |
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 | 51 |
Sub-Mission on Agricultural Mechanisation – Farm Power Availability
There is a comparatively low level of farm mechanisation in the district and a relatively low proportion of electric pump users, indicating an opportunity to increase the exisiting level of mechanisation through solar based irrigation. Solar powered irrigation could be deployed under the Sub-Mission on Agricultural Mechanisation to improve farm power availability.
Parameter | Value | Percentile |
---|---|---|
Level of farm mechanisation (tractors, harvesters, threshers per ha) | 0.15 | 40 |
Proportion of cultivators reporting use of electric pumps | 6% | 46 |