Horticulture crops occupy a relatively low proportion of gross cropped area in the district, diminishing the economic viability of solar pumps 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
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 a comparatively high concentration of diesel pump users. However, ground water availability is below the safe limit, and crop revenue per holding is 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 | 80,502 | 84 |
Water Availability Index | 0.5 | 35 |
Crop revenue per holding (INR) | 68,203 | 44 |
Medium and long term institutional credit disbursed in a year (in INR Crore) | 133.8 | 73 |
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 | 2% | 21 |
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 | 0.5 | 35 |
Proportion of small and marginal cultivators | 80% | 39 |
Unirrigated net sown area as a share of total net sown area | 8% | 11 |
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% | 11 |
Water Availability Index | 0.5 | 35 |
Proportion of marginal cultivators | 49% | 31 |
Medium and long term institutional credit disbursed in a year (in INR Crore) | 133.8 | 73 |
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 | 0.5 | 35 |
Actual cost of power supply (INR/kWh) | 6.54 | 80 |
Extent of feeder segregation | 2% | 21 |
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% | 11 |