Vaishali, Bihar - Solar Pumps Tool Vaishali, Bihar | Solar Pumps Tool Humane ClubMade with Humane Club

Vaishali, Bihar

It has a relatively small proportion of its net sown area unirrigated, indicating poor irrigation demand. In the district, horticulture crops occupy a relatively high proportion of gross cropped area, raising the economic viability of solar pumps here. It has a relatively low penetration of banks in rural and semi-rural areas, impeding access to institutional credit for farmers. 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 Not Suitable
Solarisation of feeders Suitable
Solar based water as a service Not Suitable
Promote 1 HP and sub-HP pumps Limited Suitability
Solarisation of individual grid-connected pumps Limited suitability

Individually owned off-grid solar pumps

Not Suitable

The district has a comparatively high concentration of diesel pump users. But, ground water availability is below the safe limit, crop revenue per holding is low, and disbursement of institutional credit is also relatively low, making it extremely difficult to promote the private ownership of solar pumps here.

Parameter Value Percentile
Number of cultivators reporting use of diesel pumps 549,166 100
Water Availability Index 0.72 56
Crop revenue per holding (INR) 8,641 2
Medium and long term institutional credit disbursed in a year (in INR Crore) 251.6 85

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) 6.03 51
Extent of feeder segregation
Proportion of cultivators reporting use of electric pumps 1% 21

Solar based water as a service

Not Suitable

The concentration of small and marginal farmers is rather high in the district, but groundwater availability is below the safe limit. In addition, a relatively low proportion of unirrigated area makes it very difficult to promote solar-based irrigation through the water-as-a-service model here, unless it undercuts the price of water from existing sources, and improves water utilisation through promotion of micro-irrigation.

Parameter Value Percentile
Water Availability Index 0.72 56
Proportion of small and marginal cultivators 99% 96
Unirrigated net sown area as a share of total net sown area 30% 29

Promote 1 HP and sub-HP pumps

Limited Suitability

The district has a relatively high proportion of gross cropped area under horticulture crops and a rather high concentration of marginal farmers. But, groundwater availability in the district is below the safe limit, and disbursement of institutional credit to marginal farmers is comparatively low, making it very difficult to promote 1 HP and sub-HP pumps here. Promotion of such pumps must accompany support for marginal farmers (subsidies and loans), along with promotion of micro-irrigation.

Parameter Value Percentile
Area under horticulture crops as a share of gross cropped area 21% 79
Water Availability Index 0.72 56
Proportion of marginal cultivators 96% 98
Medium and long term institutional credit disbursed in a year (in INR Crore) 251.6 85

Solarisation of individual grid-connected pumps

Limited suitability

The district has a relatively high rate of power subsidy for agriculture consumers, a comparatively high extent of feeder segregation, and a high penetration of electric pumps. However, the groundwater availability is below the safe limits. State should be cautious in promoting solarisation of individual grid-connected pumps as it may aggrevate the groundwater depletion

Parameter Value Percentile
Water Availability Index 0.72 56
Actual cost of power supply (INR/kWh) 6.03 51
Extent of feeder segregation

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 35

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 99% 96
Score on Climate Change Vulnerability Index 0.47 62

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 27% 56

Vaishali, Bihar
Summary
Number of operational holdings
711,366
Average size of operational holding (Ha)
0.19
No. of cultivators using diesel pumps
549,166
No. of cultivators using electric pumps
5,611
Parameters (value, percentile)
Unirrigated net sown area ('000 ha)
34
36
Area under horticulture crops as a share of gross cropped area
21%
79
Water Availability Index
0.72
56
Monthly per capita expenditure of rural agricultural households (INR)
1,403
65
Crop revenue per holding (INR)
8,641
2
No. of rural and semi-urban bank branches per 10,000 farmers
2.7
2
Medium and long-term institutional credit disbursed in a year (in INR Crore)
251.6
85
No. of calls made at Kisan Call Centre (between 1.1.2011 - 31.12.2015)
2,867
75
Level of farm mechanisation (tractors, harvesters, threshers per ha)
7.56
100