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

Shahjahanpur, Uttar Pradesh

It has a relatively small proportion of its net sown area unirrigated, indicating poor irrigation demand. 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. It has a relatively low penetration of banks in rural and semi-rural areas, impeding access to institutional credit for 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 Suitable
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

Suitable

Availability of groundwater within the safe limit, a comparatively high concentration of diesel pump users, a relatively high crop revenue per holding, and institutional credit disbursed in relatively large amounts in the district make it a suitable candidate for the promotion of solar-based irrigation through the private ownership of solar pumps. Private ownership provides easy and reliable access to irrigation for farmers.

Parameter Value Percentile
Number of cultivators reporting use of diesel pumps 196,336 95
Water Availability Index 1 100
Crop revenue per holding (INR) 90,330 54
Medium and long term institutional credit disbursed in a year (in INR Crore) 393.4 91

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) 6.83 89
Extent of feeder segregation 0% 0
Proportion of cultivators reporting use of electric pumps 3% 34

Solar based water as a service

Limited Suitability

Groundwater availability in the district is within safe limit and the concentration of small and marginal farmers is comparatively high, but the proportion of unirrigated area is relatively low. A solar-based water service will have to compete with existing sources of irrigation.

Parameter Value Percentile
Water Availability Index 1 100
Proportion of small and marginal cultivators 91% 64
Unirrigated net sown area as a share of total net sown area 1% 5

Promote 1 HP and sub-HP pumps

Limited Suitability

The district has groundwater availability within safe limit, a rather high concentration of marginal farmers, and a comparatively high disbursement of institutional credit to marginal farmers, but the proportion gross cropped area under horticulture crops is relatively low. Farmers should be incentivised to grow horticulture crops based on the agro-economic suitability of the region and market linkages to improve their revenue, making small sized pumps viable, by improving their capacity utilisation.

Parameter Value Percentile
Area under horticulture crops as a share of gross cropped area 3% 33
Water Availability Index 1 100
Proportion of marginal cultivators 75% 67
Medium and long term institutional credit disbursed in a year (in INR Crore) 393.4 91

Solarisation of individual grid-connected pumps

Limited suitability

The district has a relatively high penetration of electric pumps, ground water available within the safe limits, and power supply to its agricultural consumers is heavily subsidised, but the district has a comparatively low extent of feeder segregation. Solarisation of individual grid-connected pumps will only be possible once the district separates agricultural feeders from the rest.

Parameter Value Percentile
Water Availability Index 1 100
Actual cost of power supply (INR/kWh) 6.83 89
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) 393.4 91

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 3% 33

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 47

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 91% 64
Score on Climate Change Vulnerability Index 0.47 62

Shahjahanpur, Uttar Pradesh
Summary
Number of operational holdings
408,688
Average size of operational holding (Ha)
0.87
No. of cultivators using diesel pumps
196,336
No. of cultivators using electric pumps
11,884
Parameters (value, percentile)
Unirrigated net sown area ('000 ha)
4
9
Area under horticulture crops as a share of gross cropped area
3%
33
Water Availability Index
1
100
Monthly per capita expenditure of rural agricultural households (INR)
916
19
Crop revenue per holding (INR)
90,330
54
No. of rural and semi-urban bank branches per 10,000 farmers
4.31
17
Medium and long-term institutional credit disbursed in a year (in INR Crore)
393.4
91
No. of calls made at Kisan Call Centre (between 1.1.2011 - 31.12.2015)
5,955
92
Level of farm mechanisation (tractors, harvesters, threshers per ha)
0.53
69