Uttara Kannada, Karnataka - Solar Pumps Tool Uttara Kannada, Karnataka | Solar Pumps Tool Humane ClubMade with Humane Club

Uttara Kannada, Karnataka

In the district, horticulture crops occupy a relatively high proportion of gross cropped area, raising the economic viability of solar pumps here. 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. For average crop revenue per holding, the district appears among the top 25 percentile of districts, implying higher investment capacity of the farmers here. The district has a relatively high penetration of banks in rural and semi-rural areas, facilitating higher access to institutional credit for farmers. There is a comparatively low level of farm mechanization, possibly due to low awareness or poor outlook towards progressive technologies amongst the farmers here. The district has a relatively high proportion of small and marginal farmers. The district appears in the group of districts, which show (very) low vulnerability 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 Suitable
Promote 1 HP and sub-HP pumps Suitable
Solarisation of individual grid-connected pumps Limited suitability

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 3,484 29
Water Availability Index 0.96 94
Crop revenue per holding (INR) 891,096 99
Medium and long term institutional credit disbursed in a year (in INR Crore) 117.2 70

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) 5.94 41
Extent of feeder segregation 89% 59
Proportion of cultivators reporting use of electric pumps 25% 74

Solar based water as a service

Suitable

Availability of groundwater within the safe limit, a relatively high proportion of unirrigated area, and a rather high concentration of small and marginal farmers in the district make the water-as-a-service model a potential way to promote solar-based irrigation. The model could help in improving irrigation equity, without requiring a farmer to bear an upfront cost to purchase a pump.

Parameter Value Percentile
Water Availability Index 0.96 94
Proportion of small and marginal cultivators 91% 64
Unirrigated net sown area as a share of total net sown area 70% 60

Promote 1 HP and sub-HP pumps

Suitable

1 HP and sub-HP pumps could help marginal farmers meet their needs in this district. A relatively high proportion of horticulture crops under gross cropped area, a rather high concentration of marginal farmers, a comparatively high disbursement of institutional credit to marginal farmers, and the availability of groundwater within the safe limit would drive the success of such small-sized pumps in the district. Such small pumps could also be put to use for lift irrigation, provided there is access to surface water.

Parameter Value Percentile
Area under horticulture crops as a share of gross cropped area 32% 87
Water Availability Index 0.96 94
Proportion of marginal cultivators 74% 66
Medium and long term institutional credit disbursed in a year (in INR Crore) 117.2 70

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 a comparatively high extent of feeder segregation. But the relatively low power subsidy for agriculural consumers make solarisation of individual grid-connected pumps an inefficient way of enhancing solar pumps in the district.

Parameter Value Percentile
Water Availability Index 0.96 94
Actual cost of power supply (INR/kWh) 5.94 41
Extent of feeder segregation 89% 59

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 70% 60

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) 117.2 70

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 70% 60

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% 75

Uttara Kannada, Karnataka
Summary
Number of operational holdings
192,314
Average size of operational holding (Ha)
0.89
No. of cultivators using diesel pumps
3,484
No. of cultivators using electric pumps
47,704
Parameters (value, percentile)
Unirrigated net sown area ('000 ha)
99
64
Area under horticulture crops as a share of gross cropped area
32%
87
Water Availability Index
0.96
94
Monthly per capita expenditure of rural agricultural households (INR)
1,229
52
Crop revenue per holding (INR)
891,096
99
No. of rural and semi-urban bank branches per 10,000 farmers
14.4
84
Medium and long-term institutional credit disbursed in a year (in INR Crore)
117.2
70
No. of calls made at Kisan Call Centre (between 1.1.2011 - 31.12.2015)
221
16
Level of farm mechanisation (tractors, harvesters, threshers per ha)
0.03
15