Hardwar, Uttarakhand - Solar Pumps Tool Hardwar, Uttarakhand | Solar Pumps Tool Humane ClubMade with Humane Club

Hardwar, Uttarakhand

It has a relatively small proportion of its net sown area unirrigated, indicating poor irrigation demand. 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. 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. 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 Suitable
Solarisation of feeders Limited Suitability
Solar based water as a service Limited Suitability
Promote 1 HP and sub-HP pumps Limited Suitability
Solarisation of individual grid-connected pumps Limited suitability

Individually owned off-grid solar pumps

Suitable

Availability of groundwater within the safe limit, a comparatively high concentration of diesel pump users, a relatively high crop revenue per holding, and institutional credit disbursed in relatively large amounts in the district make it a suitable candidate for the promotion of solar-based irrigation through the private ownership of solar pumps. Private ownership provides easy and reliable access to irrigation for farmers.

Parameter Value Percentile
Number of cultivators reporting use of diesel pumps 57,404 78
Water Availability Index 0.83 71
Crop revenue per holding (INR) 117,256 66
Medium and long term institutional credit disbursed in a year (in INR Crore) 146 75

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) 4.79 11
Extent of feeder segregation 0% 0
Proportion of cultivators reporting use of electric pumps 9% 53

Solar based water as a service

Limited Suitability

Groundwater availability in the district is within safe limit and the concentration of small and marginal farmers is comparatively high, but the proportion of unirrigated area is relatively low. A solar-based water service will have to compete with existing sources of irrigation.

Parameter Value Percentile
Water Availability Index 0.83 71
Proportion of small and marginal cultivators 89% 59
Unirrigated net sown area as a share of total net sown area 2% 7

Promote 1 HP and sub-HP pumps

Limited Suitability

The district has groundwater availability within safe limit, a rather high concentration of marginal farmers, and a comparatively high disbursement of institutional credit to marginal farmers, but the proportion gross cropped area under horticulture crops is relatively low. Farmers should be incentivised to grow horticulture crops based on the agro-economic suitability of the region and market linkages to improve their revenue, making small sized pumps viable, by improving their capacity utilisation.

Parameter Value Percentile
Area under horticulture crops as a share of gross cropped area 6% 52
Water Availability Index 0.83 71
Proportion of marginal cultivators 74% 66
Medium and long term institutional credit disbursed in a year (in INR Crore) 146 75

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 0.83 71
Actual cost of power supply (INR/kWh) 4.79 11
Extent of feeder segregation 0% 0

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 – 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 89% 59
Medium and long-term institutional credit disbursed in a year to small and marginal cultivators (in INR Crore) 146 75

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 6% 52

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 22

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 51% 87

Hardwar, Uttarakhand
Summary
Number of operational holdings
130,090
Average size of operational holding (Ha)
0.85
No. of cultivators using diesel pumps
57,404
No. of cultivators using electric pumps
11,998
Parameters (value, percentile)
Unirrigated net sown area ('000 ha)
3
8
Area under horticulture crops as a share of gross cropped area
6%
52
Water Availability Index
0.83
71
Monthly per capita expenditure of rural agricultural households (INR)
1,256
54
Crop revenue per holding (INR)
117,256
66
No. of rural and semi-urban bank branches per 10,000 farmers
9.84
69
Medium and long-term institutional credit disbursed in a year (in INR Crore)
146
75
No. of calls made at Kisan Call Centre (between 1.1.2011 - 31.12.2015)
3,663
83
Level of farm mechanisation (tractors, harvesters, threshers per ha)
0.21
47