Dohad, Gujarat - Solar Pumps Tool Dohad, Gujarat | Solar Pumps Tool Humane ClubMade in Humane Club

Dohad, Gujarat

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

Dohad, Gujarat
Summary
Number of operational holdings
99,898
Average size of operational holding (Ha)
2.16
No. of cultivators using diesel pumps
25,217
No. of cultivators using electric pumps
5,553
Parameters (value, percentile)
Unirrigated net sown area ('000 ha)
198
79
Area under horticulture crops as a share of gross cropped area
6%
51
Water Availability Index
1
100
Monthly per capita expenditure of rural agricultural households (INR)
906
18
Crop revenue per holding (INR)
111,254
62
No. of rural and semi-urban bank branches per 10,000 farmers
8.41
59
Medium and long-term institutional credit disbursed in a year (in INR Crore)
18.7
44
No. of calls made at Kisan Call Centre (between 1.1.2011 - 31.12.2015)
306
20
Level of farm mechanisation (tractors, harvesters, threshers per ha)
0.15
40