Nalbari, Assam - Solar Pumps Tool Nalbari, Assam | Solar Pumps Tool Humane ClubMade in Humane Club

Nalbari, Assam

In the district, a relatively large proportion of the net sown area is unirrigated, indicating high irrigation demand. 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 low for the district, suggesting poor 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 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 Limited Suitability
Solar based water as a service Limited Suitability
Promote 1 HP and sub-HP pumps Limited Suitability
Solarisation of individual grid-connected pumps Limited suitability

Individually owned off-grid solar pumps

Limited Suitability

The district has high crop revenue per holding, and ground water available within the safe limit. But, a relatively low disbursement of institutional credit and 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 4,971 32
Water Availability Index 1 100
Crop revenue per holding (INR) 96,439 56
Medium and long term institutional credit disbursed in a year (in INR Crore) 0 0

Solarisation of feeders

Limited Suitability

The district has a relatively high penetration of electric pumps, and its DISCOM incurs a high cost for supplying power, 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
Actual cost of power supply (INR/kWh) 6.53 75
Extent of feeder segregation 100% 69
Proportion of cultivators reporting use of electric pumps 4% 38

Solar based water as a service

Limited Suitability

Groundwater availability is within the safe limit in this district and the proportion of unirrigated area is high. However, a comparatively low concentration of small and marginal farmers indicates low demand for water as a service.

Parameter Value Percentile
Water Availability Index 1 100
Proportion of small and marginal cultivators 82% 43
Unirrigated net sown area as a share of total net sown area 95% 90

Promote 1 HP and sub-HP pumps

Limited Suitability

The district has a relatively high proportion of horticulture crops under gross cropped area, high concentration of marginal farmers and groundwater availability within the safe limit, but disbursement of institutional credit to marginal farmers is comparatively low. Greater support, either through subsidies or credit, would be required to enable marginal farmers to adopt solar pumps.

Parameter Value Percentile
Area under horticulture crops as a share of gross cropped area 18% 75
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 0

Solarisation of individual grid-connected pumps

Limited suitability

The district has a relatively high penetration of electric pumps, ground water available within the safe limits, and power supply to its agricultural consumers is heavily subsidised, but the district has a comparatively low extent of feeder segregation. Solarisation of individual grid-connected pumps will only be possible once the district separates agricultural feeders from the rest.

Parameter Value Percentile
Water Availability Index 1 100
Actual cost of power supply (INR/kWh) 6.53 75
Extent of feeder segregation 100% 69

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 95% 90

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 95% 90

Sub-Mission on Agricultural Mechanisation – Farm Power Availability

There is a comparatively low level of farm mechanisation in the district and a relatively low proportion of electric pump users, indicating an opportunity to increase the exisiting level of mechanisation through solar based irrigation. Solar powered irrigation could be deployed under the Sub-Mission on Agricultural Mechanisation to improve farm power availability.

Parameter Value Percentile
Level of farm mechanisation (tractors, harvesters, threshers per ha) 0.08 26
Proportion of cultivators reporting use of electric pumps 4% 38

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 26% 54

Nalbari, Assam
Summary
Number of operational holdings
66,505
Average size of operational holding (Ha)
1.14
No. of cultivators using diesel pumps
4,971
No. of cultivators using electric pumps
2,759
Parameters (value, percentile)
Unirrigated net sown area ('000 ha)
71
56
Area under horticulture crops as a share of gross cropped area
18%
75
Water Availability Index
1
100
Monthly per capita expenditure of rural agricultural households (INR)
949
23
Crop revenue per holding (INR)
96,439
56
No. of rural and semi-urban bank branches per 10,000 farmers
12.18
78
Medium and long-term institutional credit disbursed in a year (in INR Crore)
0
0
No. of calls made at Kisan Call Centre (between 1.1.2011 - 31.12.2015)
216
16
Level of farm mechanisation (tractors, harvesters, threshers per ha)
0.08
26