Navsari, Gujarat - Solar Pumps Tool Navsari, Gujarat | Solar Pumps Tool Humane ClubMade with Humane Club

Navsari, Gujarat

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. 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 Suitable
Solar based water as a service Limited Suitability
Promote 1 HP and sub-HP pumps Limited Suitability
Solarisation of individual grid-connected pumps Suitable

Individually owned off-grid solar pumps

Limited Suitability

The district has ground water available within the safe limit. But, a comparatively low concentration of diesel pump users, low crop revenue per holding, and a relatively low disbursement of institutional credit make it very difficult to promote the private ownership of solar pumps here.

Parameter Value Percentile
Number of cultivators reporting use of diesel pumps 5,536 33
Water Availability Index 1 100
Crop revenue per holding (INR) 73,521 46
Medium and long term institutional credit disbursed in a year (in INR Crore) 3.4 30

Solarisation of feeders

Suitable

Given the relatively high cost of power supply for the respective DISCOM, a comparatively high extent of feeder segregation, and a high penetration of electric pumps, solarisation of the feeders would be a recommended way to promote solar-powered irrigation in the district. It would ensure the rapid and cost effective solarisation of irrigation power at a large scale.

Parameter Value Percentile
Actual cost of power supply (INR/kWh) 6.06 55
Extent of feeder segregation 100% 69
Proportion of cultivators reporting use of electric pumps 7% 48

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 83% 45
Unirrigated net sown area as a share of total net sown area 53% 45

Promote 1 HP and sub-HP pumps

Limited Suitability

The district has groundwater availability within safe limit and a relatively high proportion of horticulture crops under gross cropped area. But, a rather low concentration of marginal farmers, and a comparatively low disbursement of institutional credit to them make it difficult to promote 1 HP and sub-HP pumps here.

Parameter Value Percentile
Area under horticulture crops as a share of gross cropped area 36% 91
Water Availability Index 1 100
Proportion of marginal cultivators 66% 53
Medium and long term institutional credit disbursed in a year (in INR Crore) 3.4 30

Solarisation of individual grid-connected pumps

Suitable

Given the relatively high rate of power subsidy for agriculture consumers, a comparatively high extent of feeder segregation, ground water available within the safe limits and a high penetration of electric pumps, solarisation of individual grid-connected pumps would be a recommended way to promote solar-powered irrigation in the district. It would ensure the rapid and cost effective solarisation of irrigation power at a large scale.

Parameter Value Percentile
Water Availability Index 1 100
Actual cost of power supply (INR/kWh) 6.06 55
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 53% 45

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 53% 45

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 13

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 0.35 68

Navsari, Gujarat
Summary
Number of operational holdings
124,589
Average size of operational holding (Ha)
1.11
No. of cultivators using diesel pumps
5,536
No. of cultivators using electric pumps
8,460
Parameters (value, percentile)
Unirrigated net sown area ('000 ha)
68
54
Area under horticulture crops as a share of gross cropped area
36%
91
Water Availability Index
1
100
Monthly per capita expenditure of rural agricultural households (INR)
1,507
74
Crop revenue per holding (INR)
73,521
46
No. of rural and semi-urban bank branches per 10,000 farmers
15.41
86
Medium and long-term institutional credit disbursed in a year (in INR Crore)
3.4
30
No. of calls made at Kisan Call Centre (between 1.1.2011 - 31.12.2015)
213
16
Level of farm mechanisation (tractors, harvesters, threshers per ha)
0.29
55