Overall, the water availability for irrigation in the district (based on ground water development and long-term trends of water level decline) is critical since the resource is overexploited, jeopardizing the long-term sustainability of solar pumps. 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. It has a relatively low proportion of small and marginal 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 | Limited Suitability |
Individually owned off-grid solar pumps
Limited Suitability
The district has a relatively high disbursement of institutional credit and high crop revenue per holding. However, ground water availability is below the safe limit, and concentration of diesel pump users is comparatively 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 | 918 | 19 |
| Water Availability Index | 0.12 | 8 |
| Crop revenue per holding (INR) | 91,211 | 54 |
| Medium and long term institutional credit disbursed in a year (in INR Crore) | 422.2 | 92 |
Solarisation of feeders
Limited Suitability
The district has a relatively high penetration of electric pumps, and its DISCOM has a rather high bulk power purchase rate, but the district has a comparatively low extent of feeder segregation. Solarisation of the feeders will only be possible once the district separates agricultural feeders from the rest.
| Parameter | Value | Percentile |
|---|---|---|
| Power purchase rate for DISCOM (INR/kWh) | 4.13 | 63 |
| Extent of feeder segregation | 19% | 33 |
| Proportion of cultivators reporting use of electric pumps | 12% | 58 |
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.
| Parameter | Value | Percentile |
|---|---|---|
| Water Availability Index | 0.12 | 8 |
| Proportion of small and marginal cultivators | 33% | 7 |
| Unirrigated net sown area as a share of total net sown area | 83% | 73 |
Promote 1 HP and sub-HP pumps
Limited Suitability
The district has a comparatively high disbursement of institutional credit to marginal farmers and a relatively high proportion of horticulture crops under gross cropped area. But groundwater availability below safe limit and a rather low concentration of marginal farmers limits the demand for 1 HP and sub-HP pumps in the district.
| Parameter | Value | Percentile |
|---|---|---|
| Area under horticulture crops as a share of gross cropped area | 7% | 53 |
| Water Availability Index | 0.12 | 8 |
| Proportion of marginal cultivators | 12% | 6 |
| Medium and long term institutional credit disbursed in a year (in INR Crore) | 422.2 | 92 |
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.
| Parameter | Value | Percentile |
|---|---|---|
| Unirrigated net sown area as a share of total net sown area | 83% | 73 |
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.
| Parameter | Value | Percentile |
|---|---|---|
| Unirrigated net sown area as a share of total net sown area | 83% | 73 |
