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 average monthly per capita expenditure of rural agricultural households is relatively high for the district, suggesting higher 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 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.
Approaches | Feasibility |
---|---|
Individually owned off-grid solar pumps | Limited Suitability |
Solar based water as a service | Suitable |
Promote 1 HP and sub-HP pumps | Limited Suitability |
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 | 667 | 17 |
Water Availability Index | 1 | 100 |
Crop revenue per holding (INR) | 93,884 | 55 |
Medium and long term institutional credit disbursed in a year (in INR Crore) | 1.3 | 26 |
Suitable
Availability of groundwater within the safe limit, a relatively high proportion of unirrigated area, and a rather high concentration of small and marginal farmers in the district make the water-as-a-service model a potential way to promote solar-based irrigation. The model could help in improving irrigation equity, without requiring a farmer to bear an upfront cost to purchase a pump.
Parameter | Value | Percentile |
---|---|---|
Water Availability Index | 1 | 100 |
Proportion of small and marginal cultivators | 91% | 64 |
Unirrigated net sown area as a share of total net sown area | 58% | 48 |
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 | 71% | 97 |
Water Availability Index | 1 | 100 |
Proportion of marginal cultivators | 80% | 76 |
Medium and long term institutional credit disbursed in a year (in INR Crore) | 1.3 | 26 |
If you are deploying solar pumps in this district then you can further these policy objectives.
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 | 58% | 48 |
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 | 58% | 48 |
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 | 73% | 95 |