Bathinda, Punjab - Solar Pumps Tool Bathinda, Punjab | Solar Pumps Tool Humane ClubMade with Humane Club

Bathinda, Punjab

Horticulture crops occupy a relatively low proportion of gross cropped area in the district, diminishing the economic viability of solar pumps here. The average monthly per capita expenditure of rural agricultural households is relatively high for the district, suggesting higher purchasing capacity of the farmers here. 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. 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. It has a relatively low proportion of small and marginal farmers.

Deployment Approaches

Approaches Feasibility
Individually owned off-grid solar pumps Limited Suitability
Solarisation of feeders Limited Suitability
Solar based water as a service Not Suitable
Promote 1 HP and sub-HP pumps Not Suitable
Solarisation of individual grid-connected pumps Not suitable

Individually owned off-grid solar pumps

Limited Suitability

The district has a comparatively high concentration of diesel pump users, high crop revenue per holding, and a relatively high disbursement of institutional credit. However, 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 solar pumps.

Parameter Value Percentile
Number of cultivators reporting use of diesel pumps 22,967 57
Water Availability Index 0.61 48
Crop revenue per holding (INR) 1,181,068 100
Medium and long term institutional credit disbursed in a year (in INR Crore) 345.1 89

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 95% 65
Proportion of cultivators reporting use of electric pumps 70% 97

Solar based water as a service

Not Suitable

The district has a rather low concentration of small and marginal farmers and a relatively low proportion of unirrigated area. Moreover, groundwater availability is below the safe limit, making it extremely difficult to promote solar-based irrigation through the water-as-a-service model here.

Parameter Value Percentile
Water Availability Index 0.61 48
Proportion of small and marginal cultivators 25% 4
Unirrigated net sown area as a share of total net sown area 0% 0

Promote 1 HP and sub-HP pumps

Not Suitable

The district has a comparatively high disbursement of institutional credit to marginal farmers. But, a rather low concentration of marginal farmers, a relatively low proportion of horticulture crops under gross cropped area, and groundwater availability below the safe limit make it extremely difficult to promote 1 HP and sub-HP pumps here.

Parameter Value Percentile
Area under horticulture crops as a share of gross cropped area 2% 24
Water Availability Index 0.61 48
Proportion of marginal cultivators 12% 6
Medium and long term institutional credit disbursed in a year (in INR Crore) 345.1 89

Solarisation of individual grid-connected pumps

Not suitable

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 agriculture power subsidy is not very significant. Further with the groundwater availability below the safe limits, solarisation of individual grid-connected pumps may not be the right approach for the district

Parameter Value Percentile
Water Availability Index 0.61 48
Actual cost of power supply (INR/kWh) 5.94 41
Extent of feeder segregation 95% 65

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 – 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 2% 24

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 10

Bathinda, Punjab
Summary
Number of operational holdings
56,397
Average size of operational holding (Ha)
4.83
No. of cultivators using diesel pumps
22,967
No. of cultivators using electric pumps
39,602
Parameters (value, percentile)
Unirrigated net sown area ('000 ha)
0
0
Area under horticulture crops as a share of gross cropped area
2%
24
Water Availability Index
0.61
48
Monthly per capita expenditure of rural agricultural households (INR)
2,620
95
Crop revenue per holding (INR)
1,181,068
100
No. of rural and semi-urban bank branches per 10,000 farmers
35.46
96
Medium and long-term institutional credit disbursed in a year (in INR Crore)
345.1
89
No. of calls made at Kisan Call Centre (between 1.1.2011 - 31.12.2015)
13,301
100
Level of farm mechanisation (tractors, harvesters, threshers per ha)
0.08
26