Kokrajhar, Assam - Solar Pumps Tool Kokrajhar, Assam | Solar Pumps Tool Humane ClubMade with Humane Club

Kokrajhar, Assam

In the district, a relatively large proportion of the net sown area is unirrigated, indicating high 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. It has a relatively low penetration of banks in rural and semi-rural areas, impeding access to institutional credit for farmers. There is a comparatively low level of farm mechanization, possibly due to low awareness or poor outlook towards progressive technologies amongst the farmers here. The district has a relatively high proportion of small and marginal farmers. The district appears in the group of districts, which show (very) low vulnerability 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 Suitable
Promote 1 HP and sub-HP pumps Suitable
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 and a comparatively high concentration of diesel pump users. However, low crop revenue per holding, and the relatively low disbursement of institutional credit would make it difficult to promote the private ownership of solar pumps here without significant government subsidy support.

Parameter Value Percentile
Number of cultivators reporting use of diesel pumps 22,612 57
Water Availability Index 1 100
Crop revenue per holding (INR) 55,288 37
Medium and long term institutional credit disbursed in a year (in INR Crore) 0.1 21

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) 6.53 75
Extent of feeder segregation 100% 69
Proportion of cultivators reporting use of electric pumps 3% 34

Solar based water as a service

Suitable

Availability of groundwater within the safe limit, a relatively high proportion of unirrigated area, and a rather high concentration of small and marginal farmers in the district make the water-as-a-service model a potential way to promote solar-based irrigation. The model could help in improving irrigation equity, without requiring a farmer to bear an upfront cost to purchase a pump.

Parameter Value Percentile
Water Availability Index 1 100
Proportion of small and marginal cultivators 91% 64
Unirrigated net sown area as a share of total net sown area 98% 95

Promote 1 HP and sub-HP pumps

Suitable

1 HP and sub-HP pumps could help marginal farmers meet their needs in this district. A relatively high proportion of horticulture crops under gross cropped area, a rather high concentration of marginal farmers, a comparatively high disbursement of institutional credit to marginal farmers, and the availability of groundwater within the safe limit would drive the success of such small-sized pumps in the district. Such small pumps could also be put to use for lift irrigation, provided there is access to surface water.

Parameter Value Percentile
Area under horticulture crops as a share of gross cropped area 12% 66
Water Availability Index 1 100
Proportion of marginal cultivators 81% 78
Medium and long term institutional credit disbursed in a year (in INR Crore) 0.1 21

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 power supply to its agricultural consumers is heavily subsidised, but the district has a comparatively low extent of feeder segregation. Solarisation of individual grid-connected pumps will only be possible once the district separates agricultural feeders from the rest.

Parameter Value Percentile
Water Availability Index 1 100
Actual cost of power supply (INR/kWh) 6.53 75
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 98% 95

Doubling Farmers’ Income – Capital Investment

Given the high concentration of small and marginal farmers, and their relatively better access to institutional credit, the district is suitable for doubling farmers’ income through capital investment. Solar pumps could be one of the farm technologies to invest in for farmers, especially 1 HP or sub-HP pumps for marginal farmers.

Parameter Value Percentile
Proportion of small and marginal cultivators 91% 64
Medium and long-term institutional credit disbursed in a year to small and marginal cultivators (in INR Crore) 0.1 21

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 98% 95

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) 0.01 9
Proportion of cultivators reporting use of electric pumps 3% 34

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 30% 63

Kokrajhar, Assam
Summary
Number of operational holdings
124,625
Average size of operational holding (Ha)
0.83
No. of cultivators using diesel pumps
22,612
No. of cultivators using electric pumps
3,294
Parameters (value, percentile)
Unirrigated net sown area ('000 ha)
98
64
Area under horticulture crops as a share of gross cropped area
12%
66
Water Availability Index
1
100
Monthly per capita expenditure of rural agricultural households (INR)
921
20
Crop revenue per holding (INR)
55,288
37
No. of rural and semi-urban bank branches per 10,000 farmers
3.69
9
Medium and long-term institutional credit disbursed in a year (in INR Crore)
0.1
21
No. of calls made at Kisan Call Centre (between 1.1.2011 - 31.12.2015)
96
12
Level of farm mechanisation (tractors, harvesters, threshers per ha)
0.01
9