Vellore, Tamil Nadu - Solar Pumps Tool Vellore, Tamil Nadu | Solar Pumps Tool Humane ClubMade with Humane Club

Vellore, Tamil Nadu

In the district, horticulture crops occupy a relatively high proportion of gross cropped area, raising the economic viability of solar pumps here. Overall, the water availability for irrigation in the district (based on ground water development and long-term trends of water level decline) is critical since the resource is overexploited, jeopardizing the long-term sustainability of solar pumps. There is a comparatively high level of farm mechanization in the district, implying a positive outlook towards progressive technologies amongst the farmers. The district has a relatively high proportion of small and marginal farmers. 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 Not Suitable
Solarisation of feeders Limited Suitability
Solar based water as a service Not Suitable
Promote 1 HP and sub-HP pumps Limited Suitability
Solarisation of individual grid-connected pumps Limited suitability

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 6,590 35
Water Availability Index 0.2 15
Crop revenue per holding (INR) 83,154 51
Medium and long term institutional credit disbursed in a year (in INR Crore) 532.4 94

Solarisation of feeders

Limited Suitability

The district has a relatively high penetration of electric pumps, and its DISCOM incurs a high cost for supplying power, 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
Actual cost of power supply (INR/kWh) 6.69 84
Extent of feeder segregation 0% 0
Proportion of cultivators reporting use of electric pumps 44% 88

Solar based water as a service

Not Suitable

The concentration of small and marginal farmers is rather high in the district, but groundwater availability is below the safe limit. In addition, a relatively low proportion of unirrigated area makes it very difficult to promote solar-based irrigation through the water-as-a-service model here, unless it undercuts the price of water from existing sources, and improves water utilisation through promotion of micro-irrigation.

Parameter Value Percentile
Water Availability Index 0.2 15
Proportion of small and marginal cultivators 95% 80
Unirrigated net sown area as a share of total net sown area 45% 37

Promote 1 HP and sub-HP pumps

Limited Suitability

The district has a relatively high proportion of gross cropped area under horticulture crops, a high concentration of marginal farmers and a comparatively high disbursement of institutional credit to marginal farmers, but groundwater availability is below the safe limit. Water conservation and efficient irrigation practices (such as drip irrigation) should be promoted to improve the viability of small capacity pumps.

Parameter Value Percentile
Area under horticulture crops as a share of gross cropped area 24% 82
Water Availability Index 0.2 15
Proportion of marginal cultivators 81% 78
Medium and long term institutional credit disbursed in a year (in INR Crore) 532.4 94

Solarisation of individual grid-connected pumps

Limited suitability

The district has a relatively high penetration of electric pumps and power supply to its agriculture consumers is heavily subsidised. But the district has a comparatively low extent of feeder segregation and its groundwater availability is below the safe limits. Solarisation of individual grid-connected pumps will only be possible once the district separates agricultural feeders from the rest. Further the approach should be taken up with extreme caution as it may aggrevate the groundwater depletion.

Parameter Value Percentile
Water Availability Index 0.2 15
Actual cost of power supply (INR/kWh) 6.69 84
Extent of feeder segregation 0% 0

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 – 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 95% 80
Medium and long-term institutional credit disbursed in a year to small and marginal cultivators (in INR Crore) 532.4 94

Climate Resilient Farming for Small Farms

Given the high concentration of small and marginal farmers—the most vulnerable group to climate change—and a high score on climate change vulnerability index provided by CRIDA*, the district is suitable for promoting climate resilient farming for small-sized farms. Solar pumps would assist in the same through low-carbon agriculture.

Parameter Value Percentile
Proportion of small and marginal cultivators 95% 80
Score on Climate Change Vulnerability Index 0.46 59

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 50% 85

Vellore, Tamil Nadu
Summary
Number of operational holdings
384,823
Average size of operational holding (Ha)
0.64
No. of cultivators using diesel pumps
6,590
No. of cultivators using electric pumps
171,040
Parameters (value, percentile)
Unirrigated net sown area ('000 ha)
85
60
Area under horticulture crops as a share of gross cropped area
24%
82
Water Availability Index
0.2
15
Monthly per capita expenditure of rural agricultural households (INR)
1,438
68
Crop revenue per holding (INR)
83,154
51
No. of rural and semi-urban bank branches per 10,000 farmers
9.12
65
Medium and long-term institutional credit disbursed in a year (in INR Crore)
532.4
94
No. of calls made at Kisan Call Centre (between 1.1.2011 - 31.12.2015)
1,997
63
Level of farm mechanisation (tractors, harvesters, threshers per ha)
0.97
91