Karur, Tamil Nadu - Solar Pumps Tool Karur, Tamil Nadu | Solar Pumps Tool Humane ClubMade with Humane Club

Karur, Tamil Nadu

It has a relatively small proportion of its net sown area unirrigated, indicating poor irrigation demand. In the district, horticulture crops occupy a relatively high proportion of gross cropped area, raising 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. 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. There is a comparatively high level of farm mechanization in the district, implying a positive outlook towards progressive technologies amongst the 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 Limited Suitability
Solarisation of feeders Limited Suitability
Solar based water as a service Not Suitable
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 a relatively high disbursement of institutional credit and a comparatively high concentration of diesel pump users. However, ground water availability is below the safe limit, and crop revenue per holding is 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 30,457 63
Water Availability Index 0.18 14
Crop revenue per holding (INR) 73,608 46
Medium and long term institutional credit disbursed in a year (in INR Crore) 34.9 53

Solarisation of feeders

Limited Suitability

The district has a relatively high penetration of electric pumps, and its DISCOM incurs a high cost for supplying power, but the district has a comparatively low extent of feeder segregation. Solarisation of the feeders will only be possible once the district separates agricultural feeders from the rest.

Parameter Value Percentile
Actual cost of power supply (INR/kWh) 6.69 84
Extent of feeder segregation 0% 0
Proportion of cultivators reporting use of electric pumps 35% 82

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 0.18 14
Proportion of small and marginal cultivators 81% 40
Unirrigated net sown area as a share of total net sown area 44% 36

Promote 1 HP and sub-HP pumps

Limited Suitability

The district has a relatively high proportion of gross cropped area under horticulture crops and a rather high concentration of marginal farmers. But, groundwater availability in the district is below the safe limit, and disbursement of institutional credit to marginal farmers is comparatively low, making it very difficult to promote 1 HP and sub-HP pumps here. Promotion of such pumps must accompany support for marginal farmers (subsidies and loans), along with promotion of micro-irrigation.

Parameter Value Percentile
Area under horticulture crops as a share of gross cropped area 34% 90
Water Availability Index 0.18 14
Proportion of marginal cultivators 63% 48
Medium and long term institutional credit disbursed in a year (in INR Crore) 34.9 53

Solarisation of individual grid-connected pumps

Limited suitability

The district has a relatively high penetration of electric pumps and power supply to its agriculture consumers is heavily subsidised. But the district has a comparatively low extent of feeder segregation and its groundwater availability is below the safe limits. Solarisation of individual grid-connected pumps will only be possible once the district separates agricultural feeders from the rest. Further the approach should be taken up with extreme caution as it may aggrevate the groundwater depletion.

Parameter Value Percentile
Water Availability Index 0.18 14
Actual cost of power supply (INR/kWh) 6.69 84
Extent of feeder segregation 0% 0

Leveraging Solar Pumps to Promote Policy Objectives

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

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 49% 85

Karur, Tamil Nadu
Summary
Number of operational holdings
145,683
Average size of operational holding (Ha)
1.38
No. of cultivators using diesel pumps
30,457
No. of cultivators using electric pumps
50,821
Parameters (value, percentile)
Unirrigated net sown area ('000 ha)
55
49
Area under horticulture crops as a share of gross cropped area
34%
90
Water Availability Index
0.18
14
Monthly per capita expenditure of rural agricultural households (INR)
2,227
91
Crop revenue per holding (INR)
73,608
46
No. of rural and semi-urban bank branches per 10,000 farmers
11.6
75
Medium and long-term institutional credit disbursed in a year (in INR Crore)
34.9
53
No. of calls made at Kisan Call Centre (between 1.1.2011 - 31.12.2015)
686
33
Level of farm mechanisation (tractors, harvesters, threshers per ha)
0.79
85