Syllabus: GS –III & V: Agriculture

Why in the news?

Assam continues to struggle with low irrigation coverage and rising climate stress, even as the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Urja Suraksha evam Utthaan Mahabhiyan aims to promote solar-powered irrigation. Slow implementation has revived debate on using solar irrigation as a growth engine for sustainable agriculture.

Context: Agriculture under pressure

• The core mission of SDG 2 is to end hunger, improve nutrition and promote sustainable agriculture.
  
• In Assam, this goal faces structural constraints:
  
  • Less than 23 percent of the gross cropped area is irrigated.
    
  • Nearly 77 percent of agriculture remains rain-fed, making farmers vulnerable to erratic rainfall, floods and drought-like conditions.
    
• Climate change has further disturbed cropping cycles, affecting productivity and farm incomes.
  

Why irrigation is the real solution

• Short-term measures such as crop insurance and climate-resilient seed varieties help farmers absorb shocks but do not remove the core vulnerability.
  
• Assured irrigation is essential to:
  
  • Stabilise crop yields.
    
  • Enable multi-cropping and commercial farming.
    
  • Reduce dependence on monsoon rainfall.
    

Solar irrigation and the PM-KUSUM scheme

• Solar irrigation under PM-KUSUM offers a dual advantage:
  
  • Creation of irrigation potential using renewable energy.
    
  • Replacement of diesel pumps, reducing fuel costs and emissions.
    

Key features of the scheme

• Focus on standalone solar water pumps in off-grid or poorly electrified areas.
  
• Cost-sharing model:
  
  • 85 percent subsidy shared by the Centre and the State.
    
  • 15 percent contribution by farmers.
    
• Target beneficiaries include individual farmers, groups of farmers, and water user associations.
  

Implementation gap in Assam

• Against 4,000 solar pumps sanctioned, only around 685 pumps have been installed so far.
  
• Major challenges include:
  
  • Weak coordination between renewable energy agencies and the irrigation department.
    
  • Limited awareness and mobilisation of farmers in rain-fed regions.
    
  • High upfront contribution of about ₹24,000 per pump, which is difficult for small and marginal farmers.
    

Why demand remains low

• Solar irrigation lies at the intersection of energy policy and agricultural needs, but:
  
  • Implementing agencies focus more on renewable energy targets than farm productivity.
    
  • Farmers are primarily concerned with water availability, not energy generation.
    
• Eligibility conditions requiring contiguous land holdings further exclude many small farmers.
  

Way forward (From pump-centric to irrigation-centric)

Assam needs a strategic shift in approach.

• Promote group-based adoption, where farmers jointly own and use solar pumps, sharing costs and benefits.
  
• Integrate irrigation planning with renewable energy deployment at the field level.
  
• Target rain-fed blocks where solar irrigation can bring maximum productivity gains.
  
• Strengthen extension services to explain long-term savings from zero fuel cost and low maintenance.
  
• Link solar irrigation with crop diversification, horticulture and allied activities to raise incomes.
  

Why solar irrigation can be a growth engine

• It reduces production risk and stabilises farm incomes.
  
• It supports food security by increasing local production.
  
• It aligns with climate action, reducing emissions from diesel use.
  
• It creates a pathway for sustainable rural development in Assam.
  

Exam Hook – 

“Solar-powered irrigation has the potential to transform rain-fed agriculture in Assam. Examine the challenges in implementing PM-KUSUM and suggest measures to make solar irrigation a driver of sustainable agricultural growth.”

One-line wrap:
Solar irrigation, if aligned with irrigation planning and farmer needs, can turn Assam’s climate challenge into a sustainable agricultural opportunity.

Source