Kabeerdham, Chhattisgarh

The average monthly per capita expenditure of rural agricultural households is relatively low for the district, suggesting poor purchasing capacity of the farmers here. It has a relatively low penetration of banks in rural and semi-rural areas, impeding access to institutional credit for 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

Individually owned off-grid solar pumps

Not Suitable

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

Solar based water as a service

Not Suitable

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

Promote 1 HP and sub-HP pumps

Not Suitable

Groundwater availability in the district is below the safe limit, the concentration of marginal farmers is rather low, disbursement of institutional credit to marginal farmers is also comparatively low, and the proportion of horticulture crops under gross cropped area is relatively low, making it extremely difficult to promote 1 HP and sub-HP pumps here.

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.

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.

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.