Pratapgarh, Rajasthan

It has a relatively low penetration of banks in rural and semi-rural areas, impeding access to institutional credit for farmers. There is a comparatively high level of farm mechanization in the district, implying a positive outlook towards progressive technologies amongst the farmers.

Deployment Approaches

Approaches	Feasibility
Individually owned off-grid solar pumps	Limited Suitability
Solar based water as a service	Not Suitable
Promote 1 HP and sub-HP pumps	Not Suitable

Individually owned off-grid solar pumps

Limited Suitability

The district has a comparatively high concentration of diesel pump users, high crop revenue per holding, and a relatively high disbursement of institutional credit. However, groundwater availability is below the safe limit. Water conservation and efficient irrigation practices (such as drip irrigation) should be promoted to improve the viability of solar pumps.

Parameter	Value	Percentile
Number of cultivators reporting use of diesel pumps	42,976	72
Water Availability Index	0.53	40
Crop revenue per holding (INR)	95,489	56
Medium and long term institutional credit disbursed in a year (in INR Crore)	93.3	67

Solar based water as a service

Not Suitable

The district has a rather low concentration of small and marginal farmers and a relatively low proportion of unirrigated area. Moreover, groundwater availability is below the safe limit, making it extremely difficult to promote solar-based irrigation through the water-as-a-service model here.

Parameter	Value	Percentile
Water Availability Index	0.53	40
Proportion of small and marginal cultivators	77%	34
Unirrigated net sown area as a share of total net sown area	48%	39

Promote 1 HP and sub-HP pumps

Not Suitable

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

Parameter	Value	Percentile
Area under horticulture crops as a share of gross cropped area	4%	41
Water Availability Index	0.53	40
Proportion of marginal cultivators	52%	35
Medium and long term institutional credit disbursed in a year (in INR Crore)	93.3	67

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 – Crop Diversification

In the district, horticulture crops occupy a relatively low proportion of gross cropped area, indicating an opportunity for growing more high value non-staple crops. Solar-powered irrigation could be an alternative source of reliable irrigation, making it easier to achieve crop diversification and enhance farmers’ incomes.

Parameter	Value	Percentile
Area under horticulture crops as a share of gross cropped area	4%	41

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.