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

Mahesana, Gujarat

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 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 high crop revenue per holding overall. But, ground water availability is below the safe limit, the concentration of diesel pump users is comparatively low, and disbursement of institutional credit is also relatively low, making it extremely difficult to promote the private ownership of solar pumps here.

Parameter Value Percentile
Number of cultivators reporting use of diesel pumps 0 0
Water Availability Index 0.03 5
Crop revenue per holding (INR) 93,628 55
Medium and long term institutional credit disbursed in a year (in INR Crore) 44.6 57

Solarisation of feeders

Limited Suitability

The cost of power supply for the respective DISCOM in the district is rather high. But, a relatively low extent of feeder segregation and a comparatively low penetration of electric pumps make it very difficult and less effective to solarise the feeders here.

Parameter Value Percentile
Actual cost of power supply (INR/kWh) 4.49 7
Extent of feeder segregation 100% 69
Proportion of cultivators reporting use of electric pumps 0% 0

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 0.03 5
Proportion of small and marginal cultivators 81% 40
Unirrigated net sown area as a share of total net sown area 41% 34

Promote 1 HP and sub-HP pumps

Not Suitable

The district has a relatively high proportion of horticulture crops under gross cropped area. But, a rather low concentration of marginal farmers, a comparatively low disbursement of institutional credit to them, and groundwater availability below the safe limit make 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 9% 61
Water Availability Index 0.03 5
Proportion of marginal cultivators 56% 39
Medium and long term institutional credit disbursed in a year (in INR Crore) 44.6 57

Solarisation of individual grid-connected pumps

Not suitable

The power supply to its agriculture consumers in the district is heavily subsidised. But, a relatively low extent of feeder segregation, groundwater avialability below the safe limits and a comparatively low penetration of electric pumps make it very difficult and less effective to solarise the individual grid-connected pumps here.

Parameter Value Percentile
Water Availability Index 0.03 5
Actual cost of power supply (INR/kWh) 4.49 7
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.

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) 0.24 49
Proportion of cultivators reporting use of electric pumps 0% 0

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 0.46 82

Mahesana, Gujarat
Summary
Number of operational holdings
252,202
Average size of operational holding (Ha)
1.33
No. of cultivators using diesel pumps
0
No. of cultivators using electric pumps
0
Parameters (value, percentile)
Unirrigated net sown area ('000 ha)
136
72
Area under horticulture crops as a share of gross cropped area
9%
61
Water Availability Index
0.03
5
Monthly per capita expenditure of rural agricultural households (INR)
1,712
83
Crop revenue per holding (INR)
93,628
55
No. of rural and semi-urban bank branches per 10,000 farmers
10.59
71
Medium and long-term institutional credit disbursed in a year (in INR Crore)
44.6
57
No. of calls made at Kisan Call Centre (between 1.1.2011 - 31.12.2015)
2,316
68
Level of farm mechanisation (tractors, harvesters, threshers per ha)
0.24
49