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 low for the district, suggesting poor purchasing capacity of the farmers here.
Deployment Approaches
| Approaches | Feasibility |
|---|---|
| Individually owned off-grid solar pumps | Limited Suitability |
| Solarisation of feeders | Limited Suitability |
| Solar based water as a service | Limited Suitability |
| Promote 1 HP and sub-HP pumps | Suitable |
Individually owned off-grid solar pumps
Limited Suitability
The district has ground water available within the safe limit, high crop revenue per holding, and a relatively high disbursement of institutional credit, but has a comparatively low concentration of diesel pump users, indicating potentially low demand for the private ownership of solar pumps.
| Parameter | Value | Percentile |
|---|---|---|
| Number of cultivators reporting use of diesel pumps | 6,150 | 34 |
| Water Availability Index | 0.89 | 80 |
| Crop revenue per holding (INR) | 85,176 | 52 |
| Medium and long term institutional credit disbursed in a year (in INR Crore) | 102.6 | 68 |
Solarisation of feeders
Limited Suitability
The district has a relatively high penetration of electric pumps, and its DISCOM has a rather high bulk power purchase rate, but the district has a comparatively low extent of feeder segregation. Solarisation of the feeders will only be possible once the district separates agricultural feeders from the rest.
| Parameter | Value | Percentile |
|---|---|---|
| Power purchase rate for DISCOM (INR/kWh) | 3.68 | 26 |
| Extent of feeder segregation | 0% | 0 |
| Proportion of cultivators reporting use of electric pumps | 16% | 64 |
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 | 80 |
| Proportion of small and marginal cultivators | 84% | 47 |
| Unirrigated net sown area as a share of total net sown area | 78% | 68 |
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 | 19% | 78 |
| Water Availability Index | 0.89 | 80 |
| Proportion of marginal cultivators | 66% | 53 |
| Medium and long term institutional credit disbursed in a year (in INR Crore) | 102.6 | 68 |
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 – 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 |
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.
| Parameter | Value | Percentile |
|---|---|---|
| Area under oilseeds as a share of total cropped area | 5% | 50 |
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 | 26% | 55 |
