Satara, Maharashtra - Solar Pumps Tool Satara, Maharashtra | Solar Pumps Tool Humane ClubMade in Humane Club

Satara, Maharashtra

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. It has a relatively low penetration of banks in rural and semi-rural areas, impeding access to institutional credit for farmers. The number of medium and long-term institutional loans disbursed in the district is comparatively large, suggesting the availability of credit amongst farmers for potential investments. 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 Suitable
Solarisation of feeders Suitable
Solar based water as a service Suitable
Promote 1 HP and sub-HP pumps Limited Suitability
Solarisation of individual grid-connected pumps Suitable

Individually owned off-grid solar pumps

Suitable

Availability of groundwater within the safe limit, a comparatively high concentration of diesel pump users, a relatively high crop revenue per holding, and institutional credit disbursed in relatively large amounts in the district make it a suitable candidate for the promotion of solar-based irrigation through the private ownership of solar pumps. Private ownership provides easy and reliable access to irrigation for farmers.

Parameter Value Percentile
Number of cultivators reporting use of diesel pumps 77,635 83
Water Availability Index 0.77 65
Crop revenue per holding (INR) 98,496 57
Medium and long term institutional credit disbursed in a year (in INR Crore) 337.8 89

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) 6.12 59
Extent of feeder segregation 58% 43
Proportion of cultivators reporting use of electric pumps 41% 87

Solar based water as a service

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 0.77 65
Proportion of small and marginal cultivators 93% 71
Unirrigated net sown area as a share of total net sown area 78% 68

Promote 1 HP and sub-HP pumps

Limited Suitability

The district has groundwater availability within safe limit, a rather high concentration of marginal farmers, and a comparatively high disbursement of institutional credit to marginal farmers, but the proportion gross cropped area under horticulture crops is relatively low. Farmers should be incentivised to grow horticulture crops based on the agro-economic suitability of the region and market linkages to improve their revenue, making small sized pumps viable, by improving their capacity utilisation.

Parameter Value Percentile
Area under horticulture crops as a share of gross cropped area 3% 34
Water Availability Index 0.77 65
Proportion of marginal cultivators 78% 73
Medium and long term institutional credit disbursed in a year (in INR Crore) 337.8 89

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 0.77 65
Actual cost of power supply (INR/kWh) 6.12 59
Extent of feeder segregation 58% 43

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 78% 68

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 93% 71
Medium and long-term institutional credit disbursed in a year to small and marginal cultivators (in INR Crore) 337.8 89

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 78% 68

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% 34

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 0.26 55

Satara, Maharashtra
Summary
Number of operational holdings
859,482
Average size of operational holding (Ha)
0.75
No. of cultivators using diesel pumps
77,635
No. of cultivators using electric pumps
353,663
Parameters (value, percentile)
Unirrigated net sown area ('000 ha)
418
94
Area under horticulture crops as a share of gross cropped area
3%
34
Water Availability Index
0.77
65
Monthly per capita expenditure of rural agricultural households (INR)
1,649
81
Crop revenue per holding (INR)
98,496
57
No. of rural and semi-urban bank branches per 10,000 farmers
3.27
7
Medium and long-term institutional credit disbursed in a year (in INR Crore)
337.8
89
No. of calls made at Kisan Call Centre (between 1.1.2011 - 31.12.2015)
1,410
52
Level of farm mechanisation (tractors, harvesters, threshers per ha)
0.27
53