It has a relatively low penetration of banks in rural and semi-rural areas, impeding access to institutional credit for 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.

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	Not Suitable
Solarisation of individual grid-connected pumps	Limited suitability

Limited Suitability

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

Parameter	Value	Percentile
Number of cultivators reporting use of diesel pumps	56,687	77
Water Availability Index	0.71	56
Crop revenue per holding (INR)	65,723	43
Medium and long term institutional credit disbursed in a year (in INR Crore)	543.7	94

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)	6.32	72
Extent of feeder segregation	3%	25
Proportion of cultivators reporting use of electric pumps	27%	76

Limited SUitability

The district has a relatively high concentration of small and marginal farmers, and a rather high proportion of unirrigated area, but groundwater availability is below the safe limit. Water conservation and efficient irrigation practices (such as drip irrigation) should be considered while promoting solar-based water as a service, in order to improve the economic viability of the model, increase water availability, and decrease the effective cost of irrigation in the district.

Parameter	Value	Percentile
Water Availability Index	0.71	56
Proportion of small and marginal cultivators	83%	45
Unirrigated net sown area as a share of total net sown area	70%	60

Not Suitable

The district has a comparatively high disbursement of institutional credit to marginal farmers. But, a rather low concentration of marginal farmers, a relatively low proportion of horticulture crops under gross cropped area, and groundwater availability below the safe limit make it extremely difficult to promote 1 HP and sub-HP pumps here.

Parameter	Value	Percentile
Area under horticulture crops as a share of gross cropped area	5%	48
Water Availability Index	0.71	56
Proportion of marginal cultivators	58%	41
Medium and long term institutional credit disbursed in a year (in INR Crore)	543.7	94

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	0.71	56
Actual cost of power supply (INR/kWh)	6.32	72
Extent of feeder segregation	3%	25

If you are deploying solar pumps in this district then you can further these policy objectives.

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	70%	60

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	83%	45
Medium and long-term institutional credit disbursed in a year to small and marginal cultivators (in INR Crore)	543.7	94

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	70%	60

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	5%	48

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	83%	45
Score on Climate Change Vulnerability Index	0.54	80

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	49%	84

Telangana