Implementing Solar Irrigation Sustainably

The document outlines a framework for the sustainable implementation of solar-powered irrigation in India, specifically supporting the PM-KUSUM scheme. It emphasizes the 'water-energy-food nexus' and proposes five key pillars for state officials: inter-agency coordination, balanced financing for affordability, targeting marginal farmers, infrastructure support, and impact monitoring. The goal is to transition to clean energy and improve farmer well-being while preventing environmental degradation from groundwater depletion.

• Solar-powered irrigation in India offers significant social and environmental advantages, including the potential to help the country reach 500 GW of clean energy by 2030, reduce greenhouse gas emissions and air pollution, and improve farmer incomes and well-being by providing reliable electricity.
• To ensure sustainable deployment and avoid negative environmental impacts, Indian States should implement five specific strategic steps: coordinating among agencies, balancing farmer affordability with financing costs, targeting low-income and marginal 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 consequences 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} }