Saharanpur, Uttar Pradesh - Solar Pumps Tool Saharanpur, Uttar Pradesh | Solar Pumps Tool Humane ClubMade with Humane Club

Saharanpur, Uttar Pradesh

It has a relatively small proportion of its net sown area unirrigated, indicating poor irrigation demand. 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 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.

Deployment Approaches

Approaches Feasibility
Individually owned off-grid solar pumps Limited Suitability
Solarisation of feeders Limited Suitability
Solar based water as a service Not Suitable
Promote 1 HP and sub-HP pumps Limited Suitability
Solarisation of individual grid-connected pumps Not suitable

Individually owned off-grid solar pumps

Limited Suitability

The district has a comparatively high concentration of diesel pump users, high crop revenue per holding, and a relatively high disbursement of institutional credit. However, groundwater availability is below the safe limit. Water conservation and efficient irrigation practices (such as drip irrigation) should be promoted to improve the viability of solar pumps.

Parameter Value Percentile
Number of cultivators reporting use of diesel pumps 57,727 78
Water Availability Index 0.27 20
Crop revenue per holding (INR) 140,402 72
Medium and long term institutional credit disbursed in a year (in INR Crore) 928.8 97

Solarisation of feeders

Limited Suitability

The district has a relatively high penetration of electric pumps and a comparatively high extent of feeder segregation but its DISCOM incurs a relatively low cost for supplying power. As the power purchase rate of the DISCOM increases going forward, solarisation of the feeders may become economically viable in the district.

Parameter Value Percentile
Actual cost of power supply (INR/kWh) 5.99 48
Extent of feeder segregation 10% 26
Proportion of cultivators reporting use of electric pumps 8% 51

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 0.27 20
Proportion of small and marginal cultivators 85% 48
Unirrigated net sown area as a share of total net sown area 13% 15

Promote 1 HP and sub-HP pumps

Limited Suitability

The district has a relatively high proportion of gross cropped area under horticulture crops, a high concentration of marginal farmers and a comparatively high disbursement of institutional credit to marginal farmers, but groundwater availability is below the safe limit. Water conservation and efficient irrigation practices (such as drip irrigation) should be promoted to improve the viability of small capacity pumps.

Parameter Value Percentile
Area under horticulture crops as a share of gross cropped area 8% 58
Water Availability Index 0.27 20
Proportion of marginal cultivators 65% 51
Medium and long term institutional credit disbursed in a year (in INR Crore) 928.8 97

Solarisation of individual grid-connected pumps

Not suitable

The district has a relatively high penetration of electric pumps, ground water available within the safe limits and a comparatively high extent of feeder segregation but agriculture power subsidy is not very significant. Further with the groundwater availability below the safe limits, solarisation of individual grid-connected pumps may not be the right approach for the district

Parameter Value Percentile
Water Availability Index 0.27 20
Actual cost of power supply (INR/kWh) 5.99 48
Extent of feeder segregation 10% 26

Leveraging Solar Pumps to Promote Policy Objectives

If you are deploying solar pumps in this district then you can further these policy objectives.

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 20

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 34% 67

Saharanpur, Uttar Pradesh
Summary
Number of operational holdings
258,386
Average size of operational holding (Ha)
1.07
No. of cultivators using diesel pumps
57,727
No. of cultivators using electric pumps
21,780
Parameters (value, percentile)
Unirrigated net sown area ('000 ha)
34
37
Area under horticulture crops as a share of gross cropped area
8%
58
Water Availability Index
0.27
20
Monthly per capita expenditure of rural agricultural households (INR)
1,832
86
Crop revenue per holding (INR)
140,402
72
No. of rural and semi-urban bank branches per 10,000 farmers
7.62
52
Medium and long-term institutional credit disbursed in a year (in INR Crore)
928.8
97
No. of calls made at Kisan Call Centre (between 1.1.2011 - 31.12.2015)
7,705
96
Level of farm mechanisation (tractors, harvesters, threshers per ha)
0.38
60