North 24 Parganas, West Bengal - Solar Pumps Tool North 24 Parganas, West Bengal | Solar Pumps Tool Humane ClubMade in Humane Club

North 24 Parganas, West Bengal

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 proportion of small and marginal 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 Not Suitable
Solar based water as a service Limited Suitability
Promote 1 HP and sub-HP pumps Suitable
Solarisation of individual grid-connected pumps Not suitable

Individually owned off-grid solar pumps

Limited Suitability

The district has ground water available within the safe limit and a comparatively high concentration of diesel pump users. However, low crop revenue per holding, and the relatively low disbursement of institutional credit would make it difficult to promote the private ownership of solar pumps here without significant government subsidy support.

Parameter Value Percentile
Number of cultivators reporting use of diesel pumps 174,887 93
Water Availability Index 0.98 97
Crop revenue per holding (INR) 52,777 36
Medium and long term institutional credit disbursed in a year (in INR Crore) 391.2 91

Solarisation of feeders

Not Suitable

The district has a relatively high penetration of electric pumps. But, a rather low cost of power supply for the respective DISCOM and a comparatively low extent of feeder segregation make it very difficult to solarise the feeders here.

Parameter Value Percentile
Actual cost of power supply (INR/kWh) 5.5 28
Extent of feeder segregation
Proportion of cultivators reporting use of electric pumps 5% 43

Solar based water as a service

Limited Suitability

Groundwater availability in the district is within safe limit and the concentration of small and marginal farmers is comparatively high, but the proportion of unirrigated area is relatively low. A solar-based water service will have to compete with existing sources of irrigation.

Parameter Value Percentile
Water Availability Index 0.98 97
Proportion of small and marginal cultivators 98% 93
Unirrigated net sown area as a share of total net sown area 15% 17

Promote 1 HP and sub-HP pumps

Suitable

1 HP and sub-HP pumps could help marginal farmers meet their needs in this district. A relatively high proportion of horticulture crops under gross cropped area, a rather high concentration of marginal farmers, a comparatively high disbursement of institutional credit to marginal farmers, and the availability of groundwater within the safe limit would drive the success of such small-sized pumps in the district. Such small pumps could also be put to use for lift irrigation, provided there is access to surface water.

Parameter Value Percentile
Area under horticulture crops as a share of gross cropped area 26% 84
Water Availability Index 0.98 97
Proportion of marginal cultivators 90% 91
Medium and long term institutional credit disbursed in a year (in INR Crore) 391.2 91

Solarisation of individual grid-connected pumps

Not suitable

The district has a relatively high penetration of electric pumps and ground water available within the safe limits. But, a relatively low power subsidy for agriculture consumers and a comparatively low extent of feeder segregation make it very difficult to solarise individual grid-connected pumps here.

Parameter Value Percentile
Water Availability Index 0.98 97
Actual cost of power supply (INR/kWh) 5.5 28
Extent of feeder segregation

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 98% 93
Medium and long-term institutional credit disbursed in a year to small and marginal cultivators (in INR Crore) 391.2 91

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 36% 70

North 24 Parganas, West Bengal
Summary
Number of operational holdings
444,841
Average size of operational holding (Ha)
0.63
No. of cultivators using diesel pumps
174,887
No. of cultivators using electric pumps
22,519
Parameters (value, percentile)
Unirrigated net sown area ('000 ha)
40
41
Area under horticulture crops as a share of gross cropped area
26%
84
Water Availability Index
0.98
97
Monthly per capita expenditure of rural agricultural households (INR)
1,528
74
Crop revenue per holding (INR)
52,777
36
No. of rural and semi-urban bank branches per 10,000 farmers
8.45
60
Medium and long-term institutional credit disbursed in a year (in INR Crore)
391.2
91
No. of calls made at Kisan Call Centre (between 1.1.2011 - 31.12.2015)
1,706
58
Level of farm mechanisation (tractors, harvesters, threshers per ha)
0.25
51