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

Kachchh, Gujarat

In the district, a relatively large proportion of the net sown area is unirrigated, indicating high irrigation demand. The average monthly per capita expenditure of rural agricultural households is relatively high for the district, suggesting higher purchasing 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. It has a relatively low proportion of small and marginal farmers. 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 Not Suitable
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

Not Suitable

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

Parameter Value Percentile
Number of cultivators reporting use of diesel pumps 12,498 45
Water Availability Index 0.6 47
Crop revenue per holding (INR) 73,741 46
Medium and long term institutional credit disbursed in a year (in INR Crore) 191.4 81

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) 4.51 8
Extent of feeder segregation 100% 69
Proportion of cultivators reporting use of electric pumps 5% 43

Solar based water as a service

Not Suitable

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

Parameter Value Percentile
Water Availability Index 0.6 47
Proportion of small and marginal cultivators 39% 8
Unirrigated net sown area as a share of total net sown area 69% 59

Promote 1 HP and sub-HP pumps

Not Suitable

Groundwater availability in the district is below the safe limit, the concentration of marginal farmers is rather low, disbursement of institutional credit to marginal farmers is also comparatively low, and the proportion of horticulture crops under gross cropped area is relatively low, making 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 6% 51
Water Availability Index 0.6 47
Proportion of marginal cultivators 13% 7
Medium and long term institutional credit disbursed in a year (in INR Crore) 191.4 81

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 0.6 47
Actual cost of power supply (INR/kWh) 4.51 8
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.

Har Khet ko Pani

A relatively high proportion of the net sown area in the district is unirrigated, indicating high irrigation demand. Solar pumps can help improve access to underground irrigation as part of Har Khet ko Pani.

Parameter Value Percentile
Unirrigated net sown area as a share of total net sown area 69% 59

Doubling Farmers’ Income – Crop Intensity

A relatively high proportion of the district’s net sown area is unirrigated. Lack of access to irrigation is one of the major barriers to growing crops beyond two conventional seasons, rabi and kharif. Ensuring irrigation access through solar power will help improve cropping intensity and move towards the aim of doubling farmers’ income by 2022.

Parameter Value Percentile
Unirrigated net sown area as a share of total net sown area 69% 59

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

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) 0.12 34
Proportion of cultivators reporting use of electric pumps 5% 43

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 0.39 74

Kachchh, Gujarat
Summary
Number of operational holdings
211,213
Average size of operational holding (Ha)
3.65
No. of cultivators using diesel pumps
12,498
No. of cultivators using electric pumps
11,161
Parameters (value, percentile)
Unirrigated net sown area ('000 ha)
518
96
Area under horticulture crops as a share of gross cropped area
6%
51
Water Availability Index
0.6
47
Monthly per capita expenditure of rural agricultural households (INR)
1,732
84
Crop revenue per holding (INR)
73,741
46
No. of rural and semi-urban bank branches per 10,000 farmers
12.4
79
Medium and long-term institutional credit disbursed in a year (in INR Crore)
191.4
81
No. of calls made at Kisan Call Centre (between 1.1.2011 - 31.12.2015)
1,194
48
Level of farm mechanisation (tractors, harvesters, threshers per ha)
0.12
34