Skip to main content

Indiscriminate installation of solar pumps in India would sharply deplete groundwater levels, warns top expert

By A Representative
One of the topmost Indian experts on water resource management, Prof Tushaar Shah, has warned that the massive unplanned drive, which has begun across the country, to allow installation of highly subsidized solar pumps to suck out scarce groundwater resources for irrigation may cause a major environmental disaster, if not properly handled.
Talking with newspersons at the Institute of Rural Management, Anand (IRMA), Prof Shah, who is with the prestigious Columbia-based International Water Management Institute (IWMI), with an office in Anand, Gujarat, said, “So far, in our estimation, around 45,000 solar pumps have been installed across India, 25,000 in Rajasthan alone”, adding, “In Gujarat, 1,500 such pumps have been installed.”
Pointing out that states are offering “huge subsidies” of 70 to 95 per cent (Rajasthan and Gujarat, respectively) for installing solar pumps up to the capacity of 5 kilowatts (KW), up from 2 KW earlier, Prof Shah said, this is already leading farmers to install them "indiscriminately" as they find it as a “far cheaper source of groundwater irrigation than diesel or electricity.”
“Our estimate is, given the massive pressure from the farming community and reducing price of solar pumps, there would be around one million such pumps across India by 2020”, Prof Shah said, adding, “Unregulated, this would mean that the farmers would use the pumps to suck out scarce water without restriction, as they would find it extremely cheap, almost free.”
“In fact, in the next two-three years, the prices of solar pumps would fall to such an extent that there would be need for subsidies”, Prof Shah said, adding, “With virtually no maintenance cost if properly cleaned up on a regular basis, the farmers would be attracted to use as much groundwater as they want, and even well it.”
“Clearly, the haphazard installation of pumps would lead to a sharp rise in groundwater depletion”, he said, adding, “I drew the attention of Finance Minister Arun Jaitley about it, as also officials of the water resources and power ministries. However, none appear keen to come to grips with the problem. State governments seem equally oblivion.”
Solution: Pointing towards the need to urgently look for the solution which IWMI has found on an experimental basis, Prof Shah said, “In Dhundi village in Anand district, we have formed, with the help of Amul, a cooperative of the farmers using solar pumps, with the state-owned power distribution company, Madhya Gujarat Vij Company Limited (MGVCL), buying up any extra power which farmers produce from solar pump after using groundwater for irrigation. As of July 31, the farmers sold 5,097 units of electricity the MGVCL, which agreed to pay them Rs 4.63 per unit.”
“These units could have been used to pump an additional 25 million litres of groundwater, but as it was more profitable for the farmers sell power to MGVCL grid, they opted for the latter”, Prof Shah said, adding, “Before the cooperative, farmers were using diesel pumps which have now been replaced by solar pumps.”
“We believe, the farmers should be offered Rs 7 or Rs 7.50 per unit, so that evacuating power produced from solar pumps becomes even more attractive”, Prof Shah said, adding, “If this happens, the possibility of achieving the National Solar Mission aim of reaching 100 GW of solar capacity by 2022 would become very easy, pushing to the backdrop rooftop solar systems and MW-scale solar power plants.”

Comments

sekhar said…
Interesting article. Is there any info on Maharashtra state scheme on promoting solar pumps?

TRENDING

Wave of disappearances sparks human rights fears for activists in Delhi

By Harsh Thakor*  A philosophy student from Zakir Hussain College, Delhi University, and an activist associated with Nazariya magazine, Rudra, has been reported missing since the morning of July 19, 2025. This disappearance adds to a growing concern among human rights advocates regarding the escalating number of detentions and disappearances of activists in Delhi.

How community leaders overcome obstacles to protect forests and pastures in remote villages

By Bharat Dogra  Dheera Ram Kapaya grew up in such poverty that, unable to attend school himself, he would carry another boy’s heavy school bag for five kilometers just to get a scoop of daliya (porridge). When he was finally able to attend school, he had to leave after class five to join other adolescent workers. However, as soon as opportunities arose, he involved himself in community efforts—promoting forest protection, adult literacy, and other constructive initiatives. His hidden talent for writing emerged during this time, and he became known for the songs and street play scripts he created to promote forest conservation, discourage child marriages, and support other social reforms.

‘Act of war on agriculture’: Aruna Rodrigues slams GM crop expansion and regulatory apathy

By Rosamma Thomas*  Expressing appreciation to the Union Agriculture Minister for inviting suggestions from farmers and concerned citizens on the sharp decline in cotton crop productivity, Aruna Rodrigues—lead petitioner in the Supreme Court case ongoing since 2005 that seeks a moratorium on genetically modified (GM) crops—wrote to Union Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on July 14, 2025, stating that conflicts of interest have infiltrated India’s regulatory system like a spreading cancer, including within the Indian Council for Agricultural Research (ICAR).

The GMO illusion: Three decades of hype, harm, and false hope

By Sridhar Radhakrishnan  Three decades of hype, billions of dollars spent, and still no miracle crop. It's time to abandon the GMO biotech fairy tale and return to the soil, the seed, and the farmer. “Trust us,” they said. “GMOs will feed the world.” Picture a world where there is plenty of food, no hunger, fields grow without chemical pesticides, children are saved from malnutrition, and people live healthily.

Sandra Gonzalez Sanabria: An inspiring life from Colombia’s Amazonian valley

By Vidya Bhushan Rawat*  In the village of Héctor Ramírez, known as Agua Bonita, in La Montañita, Caquetá, Colombia, a vision of peace and renewal is unfolding. In the pre-2016 period, this would have been nearly impossible for outsiders to visit, as it was the epicenter of violent resistance against state oppression. However, after the Peace Accord was signed between the Colombian government and former revolutionaries—marking the end of a 70-year insurgency that claimed over 400,000 lives until 2025, including civilians, rebel fighters, and security personnel—things began to change. Visiting Agua Bonita during the Global Land Forum in Bogotá revealed a village of hope and resilience. Former FARC revolutionaries have settled here and transformed the village into a center of peace and aspiration.

Indigenous Karen activist calls for global solidarity amid continued struggles in Burma

By A Representative   At the International Festival for People’s Rights and Struggles (IFPRS), Naw Paw Pree, an Indigenous Karen activist from the Karen Human Rights Group (KHRG), shared her experiences of oppression, resilience, and hope. Organized with the support of the International Indigenous Peoples Movement for Self-Determination and Liberation (IPMSDL), the event brought together Indigenous and marginalized communities from across the globe, offering a rare safe space for shared learning, solidarity, and expression.

Activists allege abduction and torture by Delhi Police Special Cell in missing person probe

By A Representative   A press statement released today by the Campaign Against State Repression (CASR) alleges that several student and social activists have been abducted, illegally detained, and subjected to torture by the Delhi Police Special Cell. The CASR claims these actions are linked to an investigation into the disappearance of Vallika Varshri, an editorial team member of 'Nazariya' magazine.

India’s zero-emission, eco-friendly energy strategies have a long way to go, despite impressive progress

By N.S. Venkataraman*   The recent report released by OPEC’s World Oil Outlook 2025 has predicted that by the year 2050, crude oil would replace coal as India’s key energy source. Clearly, OPEC expects that India’s dependence on fossil fuels for energy will continue to remain high in one form or another.

Gender violence defies stringent laws: The need for robust social capital

By Dr. Manoj Kumar Mishra*  The tragic death of Miss Soumyashree Bisi, a 20-year-old student from Fakir Mohan College, Balasore, who reportedly self-immolated due to harassment, shocked the conscience of Odisha. Even before the public could process this horrifying event, another harrowing case emerged—a 15-year-old girl from Balanga, Puri, was allegedly set ablaze by miscreants. These incidents are not isolated; they highlight a disturbing pattern of rising gender-based violence across the state and the country.