West Sikkim, Sikkim - Solar Pumps Tool West Sikkim, Sikkim | Solar Pumps Tool Humane ClubMade in Humane Club

West Sikkim, Sikkim

In the district, a relatively large proportion of the net sown area is unirrigated, indicating high irrigation demand. 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. 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 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 Not Suitable
Solar based water as a service Limited Suitability
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 ground water available within the safe limit. But, a comparatively low concentration of diesel pump users, low crop revenue per holding, and a relatively low disbursement of institutional credit make it very difficult to promote the private ownership of solar pumps here.

Parameter Value Percentile
Number of cultivators reporting use of diesel pumps 0 0
Water Availability Index 1 100
Crop revenue per holding (INR) 26,432 17
Medium and long term institutional credit disbursed in a year (in INR Crore) 0 0

Solarisation of feeders

Not Suitable

The district has a relatively low penetration of electric pumps, a rather low cost of power supply for the respective DISCOM and a comparatively low extent of feeder segregation, making it very difficult to solarise the feeders here.

Parameter Value Percentile
Actual cost of power supply (INR/kWh) 3.52 0
Extent of feeder segregation
Proportion of cultivators reporting use of electric pumps 0% 0

Solar based water as a service

Limited Suitability

Groundwater availability is within the safe limit in this district and the proportion of unirrigated area is high. However, a comparatively low concentration of small and marginal farmers indicates low demand for water as a service.

Parameter Value Percentile
Water Availability Index 1 100
Proportion of small and marginal cultivators 79% 37
Unirrigated net sown area as a share of total net sown area 70% 60

Promote 1 HP and sub-HP pumps

Limited Suitability

The district has a relatively high proportion of horticulture crops under gross cropped area, high concentration of marginal farmers and groundwater availability within the safe limit, but disbursement of institutional credit to marginal farmers is comparatively low. Greater support, either through subsidies or credit, would be required to enable marginal farmers to adopt solar pumps.

Parameter Value Percentile
Area under horticulture crops as a share of gross cropped area 42% 92
Water Availability Index 1 100
Proportion of marginal cultivators 55% 38
Medium and long term institutional credit disbursed in a year (in INR Crore) 0 0

Solarisation of individual grid-connected pumps

Not suitable

The district has ground water available within the safe limits. But a relatively low penetration of electric pumps, a relatively low power subsidy for agricultural consumers and a comparatively low extent of feeder segregation, making it very difficult to solarise individual grid-connected pumps here.

Parameter Value Percentile
Water Availability Index 1 100
Actual cost of power supply (INR/kWh) 3.52 0
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.

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 – 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

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 0

Sub-Mission on Agricultural Mechanisation – Farm Power Availability

There is a comparatively low level of farm mechanisation in the district and a relatively low proportion of electric pump users, indicating an opportunity to increase the exisiting level of mechanisation through solar based irrigation. Solar powered irrigation could be deployed under the Sub-Mission on Agricultural Mechanisation to improve farm power availability.

Parameter Value Percentile
Level of farm mechanisation (tractors, harvesters, threshers per ha) 0.02 13
Proportion of cultivators reporting use of electric pumps 0% 0

West Sikkim, Sikkim
Summary
Number of operational holdings
23,694
Average size of operational holding (Ha)
1.26
No. of cultivators using diesel pumps
0
No. of cultivators using electric pumps
0
Parameters (value, percentile)
Unirrigated net sown area ('000 ha)
13
18
Area under horticulture crops as a share of gross cropped area
42%
92
Water Availability Index
1
100
Monthly per capita expenditure of rural agricultural households (INR)
1,238
53
Crop revenue per holding (INR)
26,432
17
No. of rural and semi-urban bank branches per 10,000 farmers
7.6
51
Medium and long-term institutional credit disbursed in a year (in INR Crore)
0
0
No. of calls made at Kisan Call Centre (between 1.1.2011 - 31.12.2015)
43
9
Level of farm mechanisation (tractors, harvesters, threshers per ha)
0.02
13