Hamirpur, Himachal Pradesh - Solar Pumps Tool Hamirpur, Himachal Pradesh | Solar Pumps Tool Humane ClubMade with Humane Club

Hamirpur, Himachal Pradesh

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. 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. There is a comparatively low level of farm mechanization, possibly due to low awareness or poor outlook towards progressive technologies amongst the farmers here.

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 Limited suitability

Individually owned off-grid solar pumps

Limited Suitability

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

Parameter Value Percentile
Number of cultivators reporting use of diesel pumps 20 9
Water Availability Index 1 100
Crop revenue per holding (INR) 61,004 40
Medium and long term institutional credit disbursed in a year (in INR Crore) 13.3 41

Solarisation of feeders

Limited Suitability

The district has a comparatively high extent of feeder segregation, and its DISCOM incurs a high cost for supplying power. But, a relatively low penetration of electric pumps means that solarisation of the feeders would not help in increasing the deployment of solar for irrigation.

Parameter Value Percentile
Actual cost of power supply (INR/kWh) 6.54 80
Extent of feeder segregation
Proportion of cultivators reporting use of electric pumps 0% 0

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 1 100
Proportion of small and marginal cultivators 88% 55
Unirrigated net sown area as a share of total net sown area 96% 92

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 1% 10
Water Availability Index 1 100
Proportion of marginal cultivators 69% 58
Medium and long term institutional credit disbursed in a year (in INR Crore) 13.3 41

Solarisation of individual grid-connected pumps

Limited suitability

The district has a comparatively high extent of feeder segregation and power supply to its agriculture consumerss is heavily subsidised. But, a relatively low penetration of electric pumps and groundwater availability below the safe limits means that solarisation of individual grid-connected pumps would not help in increasing the deployment of solar for irrigation.

Parameter Value Percentile
Water Availability Index 1 100
Actual cost of power supply (INR/kWh) 6.54 80
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.

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 1% 10

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) 0.03 15
Proportion of cultivators reporting use of electric pumps 0% 0

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 1% 4

Hamirpur, Himachal Pradesh
Summary
Number of operational holdings
76,137
Average size of operational holding (Ha)
0.95
No. of cultivators using diesel pumps
20
No. of cultivators using electric pumps
0
Parameters (value, percentile)
Unirrigated net sown area ('000 ha)
36
38
Area under horticulture crops as a share of gross cropped area
1%
10
Water Availability Index
1
100
Monthly per capita expenditure of rural agricultural households (INR)
1,618
78
Crop revenue per holding (INR)
61,004
40
No. of rural and semi-urban bank branches per 10,000 farmers
17.07
87
Medium and long-term institutional credit disbursed in a year (in INR Crore)
13.3
41
No. of calls made at Kisan Call Centre (between 1.1.2011 - 31.12.2015)
496
28
Level of farm mechanisation (tractors, harvesters, threshers per ha)
0.03
15