Solar Pumps - Answer to India’s Agricultural Woes?

Impact of the water crisis on agriculture

The unprecedented water crisis in the country has further escalated the agrarian crisis as 90% of India’s limited water resources are used for agricultural purposes.  There is an existential crisis as common crops such rice and wheat are water-intensive, leaving farmers scrambling to meet their irrigational requirements. Lack of ground and surface water have also forced farmers to abandon their farm lands and explore other alternatives. It has become evident that India’s water crisis cannot be completely addressed without factoring in the agricultural sector.

Food, water and energy are fundamental resources and form the ‘food-water-energy nexus’. With the country’s population expected to grow exponentially in the next decade, there will be a considerable stress on these three resources. Thus, the need for sustainable practices and models are high and it is also important to decrease the dependency on non-renewable sources of water and energy.

Role of solar pumps in agriculture

Irrigation is a major input cost in agriculture amounting to about 70 percent of the total cost. Pumps are essential to move water through pipes from the source to fields, or a storage facility. However, the high costs involved with electric pumps inversely impacts the profitability for farmers. Therefore, farmers are now considering ways to optimize energy consumption and the use of water resources, to keep productivity high and stay competitive in the market. Considering India’s naturally sunny climate, solar pumps have emerged as a viable solution.  Initially, they were considered only as an alternative in remote locations which could not depend on grid-based electricity or were prone to power outages. Solar pumps were also considered to be a very expensive option for farmers. The functionality of these pumps has now evolved further and have become a preferred option to pump water. Farmers will be able to save significantly more as they have no need to pay for the electricity / diesel charges which are sky rocketing owing to its dearth and demand, which can decrease the input cost to about 25 percent. This will also ensure reduced dependency on the non-renewable resources. The advent of technology has further ensured operational efficiency of these pumps.

Earlier farmers would leave the traditional pumps running throughout the day, wasting precious resources. Technology has helped customize & optimize these pumps to meet specific requirements. They are supported by intelligent solutions that can understand the dynamic flow rates during different times of the day to provide actionable insights.

The Indian government’s push towards renewable energy and its ambitious goals to target 175 GW of renewable energy usage which has led to the creation of the ‘Kisan Urja Suraksha evam Utthaan Mahabhiyan’ (KUSUM) scheme. It has aided in large scale adoption of solar pumps by encouraging farmers to opt for solar pumps by providing attractive subsidies and solarizing the existing grid or diesel based agricultural pumps. Through this scheme, farmers will be receiving / have received more water security and the opportunity to secure additional income as they can sell any surplus power generated to DISCOMS. Under this scheme, Tamil Nadu government has planned to set-up approximately 20,000 solar systems free of cost, that will be connected to water pumps, to bring down the farmers' dependence on electricity. NABARD also has a capital subsidy scheme for promoting solar photovoltaic water pumping system for irrigation, providing 40 percent subsidy.

Currently, India has become one of the front runners for solar pumps in the world, along with Middle East and Africa. The government’s support and recent ramifications of climate change is expected to increase the usage of solar pumps drastically. The large-scale adoption of solar pumps is the first step to address the concerns in the agricultural sector. These pumps have been able to make a visible change in water stressed countries, such as Kenya, Zimbabwe, Ghana and few countries in West Africa. A report by the US based Energy Economics and Financial Analysis (IEEFA) have stated that solar pumps can help India achieve 38% of its renewable goals by 2022. Sustainability driven government initiatives along with product innovation by private companies can help continue this momentum.