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

Nagappattinam, Tamil Nadu

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

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 Limited suitability

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 12,512 45
Water Availability Index 0.57 43
Crop revenue per holding (INR) 67,312 44
Medium and long term institutional credit disbursed in a year (in INR Crore) 10.4 38

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 16% 64

Solar based water as a service

Not Suitable

The concentration of small and marginal farmers is rather high in the district, but groundwater availability is below the safe limit. In addition, a relatively low proportion of unirrigated area makes it very difficult to promote solar-based irrigation through the water-as-a-service model here, unless it undercuts the price of water from existing sources, and improves water utilisation through promotion of micro-irrigation.

Parameter Value Percentile
Water Availability Index 0.57 43
Proportion of small and marginal cultivators 91% 64
Unirrigated net sown area as a share of total net sown area 7% 11

Promote 1 HP and sub-HP pumps

Not Suitable

The district has a rather high concentration of marginal farmers. But, a relatively low proportion of horticulture crops under gross cropped area, a comparatively low disbursement of institutional credit to marginal farmers, and groundwater availability below the safe limit make it extremely difficult to promote 1 HP and sub-HP pumps here. Such pumps can be promoted only if clubbed with micro-irrigation along with support to farmers for pump adoption and undertaking horticulture.

Parameter Value Percentile
Area under horticulture crops as a share of gross cropped area 4% 42
Water Availability Index 0.57 43
Proportion of marginal cultivators 73% 65
Medium and long term institutional credit disbursed in a year (in INR Crore) 10.4 38

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 0.57 43
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.

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) 10.4 38

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 4% 42

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 36

Nagappattinam, Tamil Nadu
Summary
Number of operational holdings
173,790
Average size of operational holding (Ha)
0.8
No. of cultivators using diesel pumps
12,512
No. of cultivators using electric pumps
28,461
Parameters (value, percentile)
Unirrigated net sown area ('000 ha)
9
14
Area under horticulture crops as a share of gross cropped area
4%
42
Water Availability Index
0.57
43
Monthly per capita expenditure of rural agricultural households (INR)
1,334
59
Crop revenue per holding (INR)
67,312
44
No. of rural and semi-urban bank branches per 10,000 farmers
10.18
70
Medium and long-term institutional credit disbursed in a year (in INR Crore)
10.4
38
No. of calls made at Kisan Call Centre (between 1.1.2011 - 31.12.2015)
1,462
53
Level of farm mechanisation (tractors, harvesters, threshers per ha)
0.51
67