Una, Himachal Pradesh - Solar Pumps Tool Una, Himachal Pradesh | Solar Pumps Tool Humane ClubMade with Humane Club

Una, Himachal Pradesh

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 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 Not Suitable
Solarisation of feeders Not Suitable
Solar based water as a service Not Suitable
Promote 1 HP and sub-HP pumps Limited Suitability
Solarisation of individual grid-connected pumps Not suitable

Individually owned off-grid solar pumps

Not Suitable

The district has high crop revenue per holding overall. But, ground water availability is below the safe limit, the concentration of diesel pump users is comparatively low, and disbursement of institutional credit is also relatively low, making it extremely difficult to promote the private ownership of solar pumps here.

Parameter Value Percentile
Number of cultivators reporting use of diesel pumps 1,348 20
Water Availability Index 0.7 55
Crop revenue per holding (INR) 86,158 52
Medium and long term institutional credit disbursed in a year (in INR Crore) 141.7 74

Solarisation of feeders

Not Suitable

The district has a relatively high penetration of electric pumps. But, a rather low cost of power supply for the respective DISCOM and a comparatively low extent of feeder segregation make it very difficult to solarise the feeders here.

Parameter Value Percentile
Actual cost of power supply (INR/kWh) 5.22 18
Extent of feeder segregation
Proportion of cultivators reporting use of electric pumps 3% 34

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 0.7 55
Proportion of small and marginal cultivators 83% 45
Unirrigated net sown area as a share of total net sown area 69% 59

Promote 1 HP and sub-HP pumps

Limited Suitability

The concentration of marginal farmers in the district is rather high and the disbursement of institutional credit to marginal farmers is also comparatively high. But, groundwater availability is below the safe limit and proportion of gross cropped area under horticulture is relatively low, making viability of small pumps difficult. Such pumps can be promoted in suitable areas of the district along with promotion of micro-irrigation as well as horticultural crops.

Parameter Value Percentile
Area under horticulture crops as a share of gross cropped area 4% 38
Water Availability Index 0.7 55
Proportion of marginal cultivators 65% 51
Medium and long term institutional credit disbursed in a year (in INR Crore) 141.7 74

Solarisation of individual grid-connected pumps

Not suitable

The district has a relatively high penetration of electric pumps. But, a relatively low agriculture power subsidy, groundwater level below safe limits and a comparatively low extent of feeder segregation make it very difficult to solarise individual grid-connected pumps here.

Parameter Value Percentile
Water Availability Index 0.7 55
Actual cost of power supply (INR/kWh) 5.22 18
Extent of feeder segregation

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% 38

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 33

Sub-Mission on Agricultural Mechanisation – Farm Power Availability

There is a comparatively low level of farm mechanisation in the district and a relatively low proportion of electric pump users, indicating an opportunity to increase the exisiting level of mechanisation through solar based irrigation. Solar powered irrigation could be deployed under the Sub-Mission on Agricultural Mechanisation to improve farm power availability.

Parameter Value Percentile
Level of farm mechanisation (tractors, harvesters, threshers per ha) 0.15 40
Proportion of cultivators reporting use of electric pumps 3% 34

Una, Himachal Pradesh
Summary
Number of operational holdings
62,707
Average size of operational holding (Ha)
1.25
No. of cultivators using diesel pumps
1,348
No. of cultivators using electric pumps
2,070
Parameters (value, percentile)
Unirrigated net sown area ('000 ha)
26
30
Area under horticulture crops as a share of gross cropped area
4%
38
Water Availability Index
0.7
55
Monthly per capita expenditure of rural agricultural households (INR)
2,171
91
Crop revenue per holding (INR)
86,158
52
No. of rural and semi-urban bank branches per 10,000 farmers
18.98
89
Medium and long-term institutional credit disbursed in a year (in INR Crore)
141.7
74
No. of calls made at Kisan Call Centre (between 1.1.2011 - 31.12.2015)
1,243
49
Level of farm mechanisation (tractors, harvesters, threshers per ha)
0.15
40