Raigarh, Chhattisgarh

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. It has a relatively low penetration of banks in rural and semi-rural areas, impeding 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
Solar based water as a service	Limited Suitability
Promote 1 HP and sub-HP pumps	Limited Suitability

Individually owned off-grid solar pumps

Limited Suitability

The district has ground water available within the safe limit and a relatively high disbursement of institutional credit. But, low crop revenue per holding, and a 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	15,571	49
Water Availability Index	0.89	79
Crop revenue per holding (INR)	34,674	23
Medium and long term institutional credit disbursed in a year (in INR Crore)	47.7	57

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	0.89	79
Proportion of small and marginal cultivators	80%	39
Unirrigated net sown area as a share of total net sown area	85%	75

Promote 1 HP and sub-HP pumps

Limited Suitability

The district has a comparatively high disbursement of institutional credit to marginal farmers and groundwater availability is within the safe limit. But, a rather low concentration of marginal farmers and a relatively low proportion of horticulture crops under gross cropped area limits the suitability of 1 HP and sub-HP pumps in the district.

Parameter	Value	Percentile
Area under horticulture crops as a share of gross cropped area	3%	37
Water Availability Index	0.89	79
Proportion of marginal cultivators	60%	45
Medium and long term institutional credit disbursed in a year (in INR Crore)	47.7	57

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	85%	75

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	85%	75

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	3%	37

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.