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. For average crop revenue per holding, the district appears among the top 25 percentile of districts, implying higher investment 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. 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. 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 | Suitable |
Solar based water as a service | Limited Suitability |
Promote 1 HP and sub-HP pumps | Limited Suitability |
Solarisation of individual grid-connected pumps | Suitable |
Individually owned off-grid solar pumps
Limited Suitability
The district has ground water available within the safe limit, high crop revenue per holding, and a relatively high disbursement of institutional credit, but has a comparatively low concentration of diesel pump users, indicating potentially low demand for the private ownership of solar pumps.
Parameter | Value | Percentile |
---|---|---|
Number of cultivators reporting use of diesel pumps | 3,453 | 28 |
Water Availability Index | 1 | 100 |
Crop revenue per holding (INR) | 179,332 | 82 |
Medium and long term institutional credit disbursed in a year (in INR Crore) | 76.6 | 64 |
Solarisation of feeders
Suitable
Given the relatively high cost of power supply for the respective DISCOM, a comparatively high extent of feeder segregation, and a high penetration of electric pumps, solarisation of the feeders would be a recommended way to promote solar-powered irrigation in the district. It would ensure the rapid and cost effective solarisation of irrigation power at a large scale.
Parameter | Value | Percentile |
---|---|---|
Actual cost of power supply (INR/kWh) | 6.12 | 59 |
Extent of feeder segregation | 58% | 43 |
Proportion of cultivators reporting use of electric pumps | 4% | 38 |
Solar based water as a service
Limited Suitability
Groundwater availability is within the safe limit in this district and the proportion of unirrigated area is high. However, a comparatively low concentration of small and marginal farmers indicates low demand for water as a service.
Parameter | Value | Percentile |
---|---|---|
Water Availability Index | 1 | 100 |
Proportion of small and marginal cultivators | 65% | 17 |
Unirrigated net sown area as a share of total net sown area | 95% | 90 |
Promote 1 HP and sub-HP pumps
Limited Suitability
The district has a relatively high proportion of horticulture crops under gross cropped area, groundwater availability within the safe limit and a comparatively high disbursement of institutional credit to marginal farmers. But, the proportion of marginal farmers is rather low in the district, suggesting low demand for small-sized pumps.
Parameter | Value | Percentile |
---|---|---|
Area under horticulture crops as a share of gross cropped area | 13% | 68 |
Water Availability Index | 1 | 100 |
Proportion of marginal cultivators | 24% | 11 |
Medium and long term institutional credit disbursed in a year (in INR Crore) | 76.6 | 64 |
Solarisation of individual grid-connected pumps
Suitable
Given the relatively high rate of power subsidy for agriculture consumers, a comparatively high extent of feeder segregation, ground water available within the safe limits and a high penetration of electric pumps, solarisation of individual grid-connected pumps would be a recommended way to promote solar-powered irrigation in the district. It would ensure the rapid and cost effective solarisation of irrigation power at a large scale.
Parameter | Value | Percentile |
---|---|---|
Water Availability Index | 1 | 100 |
Actual cost of power supply (INR/kWh) | 6.12 | 59 |
Extent of feeder segregation | 58% | 43 |
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 | 95% | 90 |
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 | 95% | 90 |
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) | 0.16 | 41 |
Proportion of cultivators reporting use of electric pumps | 4% | 38 |
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 | 0.25 | 54 |