Muzaffarnagar, Uttar Pradesh - Solar Pumps Tool Muzaffarnagar, Uttar Pradesh | Solar Pumps Tool Humane ClubMade with Humane Club

Muzaffarnagar, Uttar Pradesh

It has a relatively small proportion of its net sown area unirrigated, indicating poor irrigation demand. The average monthly per capita expenditure of rural agricultural households is relatively high for the district, suggesting higher purchasing capacity of the farmers here. For average crop revenue per holding, the district appears among the top 25 percentile of districts, implying higher investment capacity of the farmers here. 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.

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 Limited Suitability
Solarisation of individual grid-connected pumps Not suitable

Individually owned off-grid solar pumps

Limited Suitability

The district has a comparatively high concentration of diesel pump users, high crop revenue per holding, and a relatively high disbursement of institutional credit. However, groundwater availability is below the safe limit. Water conservation and efficient irrigation practices (such as drip irrigation) should be promoted to improve the viability of solar pumps.

Parameter Value Percentile
Number of cultivators reporting use of diesel pumps 113,041 88
Water Availability Index 0.73 58
Crop revenue per holding (INR) 186,925 83
Medium and long term institutional credit disbursed in a year (in INR Crore) 1,459.10 99

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) 5.99 48
Extent of feeder segregation 10% 26
Proportion of cultivators reporting use of electric pumps 13% 61

Solar based water as a service

Not Suitable

The concentration of small and marginal farmers is rather high in the district, but groundwater availability is below the safe limit. In addition, a relatively low proportion of unirrigated area makes it very difficult to promote solar-based irrigation through the water-as-a-service model here, unless it undercuts the price of water from existing sources, and improves water utilisation through promotion of micro-irrigation.

Parameter Value Percentile
Water Availability Index 0.73 58
Proportion of small and marginal cultivators 87% 53
Unirrigated net sown area as a share of total net sown area 0% 0

Promote 1 HP and sub-HP pumps

Limited Suitability

The concentration of marginal farmers in the district is rather high and the disbursement of institutional credit to marginal farmers is also comparatively high. But, groundwater availability is below the safe limit and proportion of gross cropped area under horticulture is relatively low, making viability of small pumps difficult. Such pumps can be promoted in suitable areas of the district along with promotion of micro-irrigation as well as horticultural crops.

Parameter Value Percentile
Area under horticulture crops as a share of gross cropped area 3% 36
Water Availability Index 0.73 58
Proportion of marginal cultivators 70% 60
Medium and long term institutional credit disbursed in a year (in INR Crore) 1,459.10 99

Solarisation of individual grid-connected pumps

Not suitable

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 agriculture power subsidy is not very significant. Further with the groundwater availability below the safe limits, solarisation of individual grid-connected pumps may not be the right approach for the district

Parameter Value Percentile
Water Availability Index 0.73 58
Actual cost of power supply (INR/kWh) 5.99 48
Extent of feeder segregation 10% 26

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 87% 53
Medium and long-term institutional credit disbursed in a year to small and marginal cultivators (in INR Crore) 1,459.10 99

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 3% 36

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 49% 85

Muzaffarnagar, Uttar Pradesh
Summary
Number of operational holdings
338,402
Average size of operational holding (Ha)
0.95
No. of cultivators using diesel pumps
113,041
No. of cultivators using electric pumps
43,025
Parameters (value, percentile)
Unirrigated net sown area ('000 ha)
1
5
Area under horticulture crops as a share of gross cropped area
3%
36
Water Availability Index
0.73
58
Monthly per capita expenditure of rural agricultural households (INR)
1,548
75
Crop revenue per holding (INR)
186,925
83
No. of rural and semi-urban bank branches per 10,000 farmers
7.95
54
Medium and long-term institutional credit disbursed in a year (in INR Crore)
1,459.10
99
No. of calls made at Kisan Call Centre (between 1.1.2011 - 31.12.2015)
6,532
94
Level of farm mechanisation (tractors, harvesters, threshers per ha)
0.57
72