Medak, Telangana - Solar Pumps Tool Medak, Telangana | Solar Pumps Tool Humane ClubMade in Humane Club

Medak, Telangana

The district has a relatively high proportion of small and marginal farmers.

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 a relatively high disbursement of institutional credit and high crop revenue per holding. However, ground water availability is below the safe limit, and concentration of diesel pump users is comparatively 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 16,291 49
Water Availability Index 0.28 20
Crop revenue per holding (INR) 100,715 58
Medium and long term institutional credit disbursed in a year (in INR Crore) 229.1 84

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) 6.32 72
Extent of feeder segregation 3% 25
Proportion of cultivators reporting use of electric pumps 34% 82

Solar based water as a service

Limited SUitability

The district has a relatively high concentration of small and marginal farmers, and a rather high proportion of unirrigated area, but groundwater availability is below the safe limit. Water conservation and efficient irrigation practices (such as drip irrigation) should be considered while promoting solar-based water as a service, in order to improve the economic viability of the model, increase water availability, and decrease the effective cost of irrigation in the district.

Parameter Value Percentile
Water Availability Index 0.28 20
Proportion of small and marginal cultivators 90% 61
Unirrigated net sown area as a share of total net sown area 60% 50

Promote 1 HP and sub-HP pumps

Limited Suitability

The concentration of marginal farmers in the district is rather high and the disbursement of institutional credit to marginal farmers is also comparatively high. But, groundwater availability is below the safe limit and proportion of gross cropped area under horticulture is relatively low, making viability of small pumps difficult. Such pumps can be promoted in suitable areas of the district along with promotion of micro-irrigation as well as horticultural crops.

Parameter Value Percentile
Area under horticulture crops as a share of gross cropped area 5% 50
Water Availability Index 0.28 20
Proportion of marginal cultivators 68% 56
Medium and long term institutional credit disbursed in a year (in INR Crore) 229.1 84

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 0.28 20
Actual cost of power supply (INR/kWh) 6.32 72
Extent of feeder segregation 3% 25

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 60% 50

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 90% 61
Medium and long-term institutional credit disbursed in a year to small and marginal cultivators (in INR Crore) 229.1 84

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 60% 50

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 5% 50

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 42

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 42% 79

Medak, Telangana
Summary
Number of operational holdings
684,359
Average size of operational holding (Ha)
0.97
No. of cultivators using diesel pumps
16,291
No. of cultivators using electric pumps
233,829
Parameters (value, percentile)
Unirrigated net sown area ('000 ha)
319
91
Area under horticulture crops as a share of gross cropped area
5%
50
Water Availability Index
0.28
20
Monthly per capita expenditure of rural agricultural households (INR)
1,209
50
Crop revenue per holding (INR)
100,715
58
No. of rural and semi-urban bank branches per 10,000 farmers
5.19
29
Medium and long-term institutional credit disbursed in a year (in INR Crore)
229.1
84
No. of calls made at Kisan Call Centre (between 1.1.2011 - 31.12.2015)
1,305
50
Level of farm mechanisation (tractors, harvesters, threshers per ha)
0.58
74