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

Kulgam, Jammu & Kashmir

In the district, horticulture crops occupy a relatively high proportion of gross cropped area, raising 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. There is a comparatively high level of farm mechanization in the district, implying a positive outlook towards progressive technologies amongst the farmers. The district has a relatively high proportion of small and marginal farmers.

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 Suitable
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, a comparatively high concentration of diesel pump users, and a relatively high disbursement of institutional credit, but low crop revenue per holding. Greater support, either through subsidies or credit, would be required to enable farmers to adopt solar pumps.

Parameter Value Percentile
Number of cultivators reporting use of diesel pumps 43,569 73
Water Availability Index 1 100
Crop revenue per holding (INR) 10,751 3
Medium and long term institutional credit disbursed in a year (in INR Crore) 31.9 52

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 35% 82

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 99% 96
Unirrigated net sown area as a share of total net sown area 22% 23

Promote 1 HP and sub-HP pumps

Suitable

1 HP and sub-HP pumps could help marginal farmers meet their needs in this district. A relatively high proportion of horticulture crops under gross cropped area, a rather high concentration of marginal farmers, a comparatively high disbursement of institutional credit to marginal farmers, and the availability of groundwater within the safe limit would drive the success of such small-sized pumps in the district. Such small pumps could also be put to use for lift irrigation, provided there is access to surface water.

Parameter Value Percentile
Area under horticulture crops as a share of gross cropped area 35% 91
Water Availability Index 1 100
Proportion of marginal cultivators 94% 96
Medium and long term institutional credit disbursed in a year (in INR Crore) 31.9 52

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 – 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 99% 96
Medium and long-term institutional credit disbursed in a year to small and marginal cultivators (in INR Crore) 31.9 52

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 52% 87

Kulgam, Jammu & Kashmir
Summary
Number of operational holdings
66,683
Average size of operational holding (Ha)
0.42
No. of cultivators using diesel pumps
43,569
No. of cultivators using electric pumps
23,277
Parameters (value, percentile)
Unirrigated net sown area ('000 ha)
6
12
Area under horticulture crops as a share of gross cropped area
35%
91
Water Availability Index
1
100
Monthly per capita expenditure of rural agricultural households (INR)
1,481
71
Crop revenue per holding (INR)
10,751
3
No. of rural and semi-urban bank branches per 10,000 farmers
7.5
51
Medium and long-term institutional credit disbursed in a year (in INR Crore)
31.9
52
No. of calls made at Kisan Call Centre (between 1.1.2011 - 31.12.2015)
4,318
88
Level of farm mechanisation (tractors, harvesters, threshers per ha)
1.78
95