Impact evaluation of solar water pump programme in Rajasthan
Student name: Ms Bedashree Choudhury
Guide: Dr Eshita Gupta & Ms Fawzia Tarannum
Year of completion: 2016
Host Organisation: TERI University
Abstract: The national scheme for large-scale implementation and distribution of solar-powered pumps for
irrigation caught wind in 2011 in several States. Rajasthan receiving the maximum insolation in
the country, was naturally the most promising, and currently has the most number of solarpowered
pump sets installed in the entire country. Under this scheme, farmers are provided with
subsidized solar-powered pump sets for irrigation, on prior application for the same.
This report attempts to assess the overall momentum of the scheme and study the impacts and
after effects of these solar-powered pumps on various facets such as water consumption,
agricultural profits, energy consumption, changes in gross cropped area as well as net sown
area, and subsidiary impacts on animal husbandry and fodder availability.
The report also briefly outlines the sampling strategy for the large-scale study underway, of
which this report is an elementary volume. Due to time constraints, the report contains analysis
of a fraction of the total samples collected so far, from the districts of Jaipur and Jaisalmer,
explained in detail in the sampling section.
The report aims to statistically analyse the impact of solar pumps on the availability of
irrigational water and on the water use efficiency in Rajasthan. According to feedback from
informants and on-field observations, the report summarizes the changing requirements of
farmers or practical implications of certain elements with respect to the provisions of the
scheme. The report also highlights certain issues with the ground implementation of the scheme.
The Scheme demands the additional installation or continued use of some or the other form of
protective irrigation mechanisms, which in turn propagate and popularize the adoption of watersaving
irrigation techniques such as drip systems and micro-sprinklers. Positive impacts and
other such benefits of the scheme have been outlined, along with other facet that have room for
improvement.
Key words : Solar water pumps, irrigation in Rajasthan, Solar pump scheme, solar-powered
pump sets, impact of solar pumps
