Implementing Solar Irrigation Sustainably

This guidebook provides recommendations for state policy-makers in India to sustainably deploy standalone solar pumps, specifically within the framework of the PM-KUSUM scheme, to maximize social benefits for low-income farmers and minimize groundwater over-withdrawal.

• The PM-KUSUM scheme, launched in 2019, aims to promote solar-powered irrigation to improve farmer well-being and transition India toward clean energy, contributing to a goal of 500 GW of clean energy by 2030.
• Solar-powered irrigation offers multiple benefits, including the provision of reliable, clean electricity, increased farmer incomes, reduced air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions, and a reduction in financial pressure on utilities by moving away from subsidized grid electricity.
• To ensure sustainable installation of solar pumps, Indian States are advised to follow five key steps: coordinating among agencies, balancing farmer affordability with financing costs, targeting marginal and low-income farmers, supporting appropriate infrastructure, and monitoring impacts.
• Sustainable implementation requires managing the "water–energy–food nexus" (WEF nexus), as interventions in one of these areas can lead to unexpected impacts in others, specifically regarding the risk of groundwater over-withdrawal.

APA

Palit,, S. G. M. R. S. V. A. B. G. J. (2021). Implementing Solar Irrigation Sustainably. International Institute for Sustainable Development. https://www.iisd.org/publications/implementing-solar-irrigation-sustainably

Chicago

Palit,, Siddharth Goel,Rashmi Murali,Anas Rahman,Prajnashish Swain,Balasubramanian Viswanathan,Shalu Agrawal,Christopher Beaton,Mini Govindan,Abhishek Jain,Debajit. Implementing Solar Irrigation Sustainably. International Institute for Sustainable Development, 2021. https://www.iisd.org/publications/implementing-solar-irrigation-sustainably.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Palit, |first1=Siddharth Goel,Rashmi Murali,Anas Rahman,Prajnashish Swain,Balasubramanian Viswanathan,Shalu Agrawal,Christopher Beaton,Mini Govindan,Abhishek Jain,Debajit |title=Implementing Solar Irrigation Sustainably |publisher=International Institute for Sustainable Development |date=15 December 2021 |url=https://www.iisd.org/publications/implementing-solar-irrigation-sustainably |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{palit2021implementing, author = {Palit,, Siddharth Goel,Rashmi Murali,Anas Rahman,Prajnashish Swain,Balasubramanian Viswanathan,Shalu Agrawal,Christopher Beaton,Mini Govindan,Abhishek Jain,Debajit}, title = {{Implementing Solar Irrigation Sustainably}}, institution = {International Institute for Sustainable Development}, year = {2021}, month = dec, url = {https://www.iisd.org/publications/implementing-solar-irrigation-sustainably}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }