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. For average crop revenue per holding, the district appears among the top 25 percentile of districts, implying higher investment capacity of the farmers here. 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 appears in the group of districts, which are (very) highly vulnerable 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 | Limited Suitability |
| Promote 1 HP and sub-HP pumps | Limited Suitability |
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 | 24,703 | 58 |
| Water Availability Index | 0.94 | 88 |
| Crop revenue per holding (INR) | 248,605 | 88 |
| Medium and long term institutional credit disbursed in a year (in INR Crore) | 226.8 | 84 |
Solarisation of feeders
Suitable
Given the relatively high bullk power purchase rate 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Power purchase rate for DISCOM (INR/kWh) | 4.29 | 69 |
| Extent of feeder segregation | 100% | 69 |
| Proportion of cultivators reporting use of electric pumps | 3% | 34 |
Solar based water as a service
Limited Suitability
Groundwater availability in the district is within the safe limit. But, a rather low concentration of small and marginal farmers and a relatively low proportion of unirrigated area make it difficult to promote solar-based irrigation through the water-as-a-service model here.
| Parameter | Value | Percentile |
|---|---|---|
| Water Availability Index | 0.94 | 88 |
| Proportion of small and marginal cultivators | 72% | 27 |
| Unirrigated net sown area as a share of total net sown area | 40% | 33 |
Promote 1 HP and sub-HP pumps
Limited Suitability
The district has a relatively high proportion of horticulture crops under gross cropped area, groundwater availability within the safe limit and a comparatively high disbursement of institutional credit to marginal farmers. But, the proportion of marginal farmers is rather low in the district, suggesting low demand for small-sized pumps.
| Parameter | Value | Percentile |
|---|---|---|
| Area under horticulture crops as a share of gross cropped area | 12% | 66 |
| Water Availability Index | 0.94 | 88 |
| Proportion of marginal cultivators | 42% | 25 |
| Medium and long term institutional credit disbursed in a year (in INR Crore) | 226.8 | 84 |
Leveraging Solar Pumps to Promote Policy Objectives
If you are deploying solar pumps in this district then you can further these policy objectives.
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) | 0.12 | 34 |
| Proportion of cultivators reporting use of electric pumps | 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 | 0.47 | 82 |
