Kathua, Jammu & Kashmir - Solar Pumps Tool Kathua, Jammu & Kashmir | Solar Pumps Tool Humane ClubMade with Humane Club

Kathua, Jammu & Kashmir

Horticulture crops occupy a relatively low proportion of gross cropped area in the district, diminishing 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. 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 district has a relatively high penetration of banks in rural and semi-rural areas, facilitating higher access to institutional credit for farmers. 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 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 and a relatively high disbursement of institutional credit. But, low crop revenue per holding, and a comparatively low concentration of diesel pump users make it difficult to promote the private ownership of solar pumps here.

Parameter Value Percentile
Number of cultivators reporting use of diesel pumps 1,433 21
Water Availability Index 1 100
Crop revenue per holding (INR) 56,924 38
Medium and long term institutional credit disbursed in a year (in INR Crore) 0.8 24

Solarisation of feeders

Not Suitable

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

Parameter Value Percentile
Actual cost of power supply (INR/kWh) 4.19 2
Extent of feeder segregation 0% 0
Proportion of cultivators reporting use of electric pumps 19% 67

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 1 100
Proportion of small and marginal cultivators 87% 53
Unirrigated net sown area as a share of total net sown area 49% 40

Promote 1 HP and sub-HP pumps

Limited Suitability

The district has groundwater availability within safe limit and a rather high concentration of marginal farmers. However, a comparatively low disbursement of institutional credit to marginal farmers and a relatively low proportion of horticulture crops under gross cropped area make it difficult to promote 1 HP and sub-HP pumps here, unless government provide subsidy or loans support to marginal farmers for adoption of such pumps as well as promote more horticulture among such farmers.

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 70% 60
Medium and long term institutional credit disbursed in a year (in INR Crore) 0.8 24

Solarisation of individual grid-connected pumps

Not suitable

The district has a relatively high penetration of electric pumps and ground water available within the safe limits. But, a relatively low power subsidy for agriculture consumers and a comparatively low extent of feeder segregation make 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) 4.19 2
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 – 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

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 43

Kathua, Jammu & Kashmir
Summary
Number of operational holdings
80,683
Average size of operational holding (Ha)
0.95
No. of cultivators using diesel pumps
1,433
No. of cultivators using electric pumps
15,641
Parameters (value, percentile)
Unirrigated net sown area ('000 ha)
34
36
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)
1,656
81
Crop revenue per holding (INR)
56,924
38
No. of rural and semi-urban bank branches per 10,000 farmers
12.39
79
Medium and long-term institutional credit disbursed in a year (in INR Crore)
0.8
24
No. of calls made at Kisan Call Centre (between 1.1.2011 - 31.12.2015)
893
39
Level of farm mechanisation (tractors, harvesters, threshers per ha)
0.22
47