Salem, Tamil Nadu - Solar Pumps Tool Salem, Tamil Nadu | Solar Pumps Tool Humane ClubMade in Humane Club

Salem, Tamil Nadu

In the district, horticulture crops occupy a relatively high proportion of gross cropped area, raising the economic viability of solar pumps here. 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 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. There is a comparatively high level of farm mechanization in the district, implying a positive outlook towards progressive technologies amongst the farmers. The district has a relatively high proportion of small and marginal farmers. 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 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 6,570 35
Water Availability Index 0.14 10
Crop revenue per holding (INR) 87,467 53
Medium and long term institutional credit disbursed in a year (in INR Crore) 99.2 67

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 48% 91

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 0.14 10
Proportion of small and marginal cultivators 92% 68
Unirrigated net sown area as a share of total net sown area 48% 39

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 25% 83
Water Availability Index 0.14 10
Proportion of marginal cultivators 73% 65
Medium and long term institutional credit disbursed in a year (in INR Crore) 99.2 67

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 0.14 10
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.

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 48% 39

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 92% 68
Medium and long-term institutional credit disbursed in a year to small and marginal cultivators (in INR Crore) 99.2 67

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 48% 39

Climate Resilient Farming for Small Farms

Given the high concentration of small and marginal farmers—the most vulnerable group to climate change—and a high score on climate change vulnerability index provided by CRIDA*, the district is suitable for promoting climate resilient farming for small-sized farms. Solar pumps would assist in the same through low-carbon agriculture.

Parameter Value Percentile
Proportion of small and marginal cultivators 92% 68
Score on Climate Change Vulnerability Index 0.59 88

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 41% 76

Salem, Tamil Nadu
Summary
Number of operational holdings
318,123
Average size of operational holding (Ha)
0.82
No. of cultivators using diesel pumps
6,570
No. of cultivators using electric pumps
152,872
Parameters (value, percentile)
Unirrigated net sown area ('000 ha)
107
65
Area under horticulture crops as a share of gross cropped area
25%
83
Water Availability Index
0.14
10
Monthly per capita expenditure of rural agricultural households (INR)
1,803
85
Crop revenue per holding (INR)
87,467
53
No. of rural and semi-urban bank branches per 10,000 farmers
8.49
60
Medium and long-term institutional credit disbursed in a year (in INR Crore)
99.2
67
No. of calls made at Kisan Call Centre (between 1.1.2011 - 31.12.2015)
1,388
52
Level of farm mechanisation (tractors, harvesters, threshers per ha)
0.62
76