Haryana’s Department of New and Renewable Energy (HAREDA) has announced subsidies of up to 75% for solar pumps ranging from 3 HP to 10 HP capacities under the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Urja Suraksha Evam Utthan Mahabhiyaan (PM KUSUM) for the year 2023-24.

Under the program, for solar pumps with a capacity between 3 HP and 7.5 HP, the farmer’s share of the cost will be 25%, while the MNRE will provide a subsidy of 30% of the total cost, and the state government will provide a subsidy of 45% of the cost.

For solar pumps with a capacity of 10 HP, the user share remains at 25% of the cost. However, the MNRE subsidy is limited to 30% of the cost applicable for pumps up to 7.5 HP. The remaining portion of the user share and MNRE subsidy will be covered by the state government subsidy.

The initiative aims to cover various categories of beneficiaries, including individual farmers, water user associations, cow shelters, farmer producers’ organizations, primary agriculture credit societies, and community-based irrigation systems. However, priority will be given to small and marginal farmers.

As of June last year, the state had the second-highest solar pump installations under the PM-KUSUM program. It had installed 36,793 solar pumps out of the 39,326 approved.

To avail the benefits of this program, farmers interested in installing solar water pumping systems must apply online through the dedicated portal at http://saralharyana.gov.in/.

The state government has also specified the allocation criteria and related conditions for the installation of solar pumps.

Allocation criteria

Allocation of solar pumps will be based on specific criteria. Priority will be given to applicants who have applied for electric tubewell connections of up to 10 HP between 2019 and 2021.

Second priority will be given to Micro Irrigation Centralized Approval and Distribution Agency (MICADA) applicants of solar pumps.

The remaining applicants will be selected based on approved parameters such as family income and the extent of land holding/cultivation.

To be eligible for the program, applicants must possess a valid Parivar Pehchan Patra, which serves as a family identification document, and must have agricultural land registered under their name.

Those who have already been provided with a solar water pumping system, regardless of capacity or location, are not eligible for another system under this program.

Additionally, applicants should not have an existing electric agricultural connection. Still, priority will be given to existing consumers of electric tube wells up to 10 HP if they choose to surrender their current connections.

Major conditions

The program will not cover new solar agricultural pumps in areas where the groundwater table has fallen below 100 feet. However, existing standalone diesel pumps can be converted into standalone solar pumps in these areas if micro-irrigation techniques are utilized to conserve water.

In these regions, farmers will be required to install a fixed micro-irrigation system (drip/sprinkler) for 100% of the land owned at the pump site. Portable sprinkler micro-irrigation systems may also be allowed for up to five acres of land.

In the remaining areas of Haryana, underground pipelines or micro-irrigation is permitted with solar pumps, regardless of landholding or the size of the micro-irrigation system.

The installation of micro-irrigation systems must be verified and cleared by MICADA.

Farmers engaged in paddy cultivation will be ineligible for the program in areas with groundwater availability below 40 meters.

Other conditions

The MNRE subsidy is available for pumps equipped with a universal solar power controller (USPC) based on the benchmark cost.

The USPC allows running standard voltage three-phase agricultural appliances within the capacity limits of the solar pump.

The CFA applicable for solar pumps without USPC also applies to USPC pumps, with the state share remaining the same. The farmer is responsible for the remaining cost.

If a firm fails to install USPC due to non-testing promptly, the solar pump will be installed with a normal controller. The additional amount deposited for the USPC will be refunded to the farmer without interest.

Each family can apply for and receive only one solar pump under the program. Present consumers of electric tube wells with a capacity of up to 10 HP will be given priority in new allocations if they surrender their existing connections.

Water User Associations, community-based irrigation systems, and Farmer Producer Organizations may receive multiple pumps following the program guidelines.

For such cases, the CFA will be allowed for solar pumps larger than 10 HP, considering up to 5 HP capacity per individual in the group.

Applicants who seek a refund after the work order has been issued for the solar pump will be subject to a forfeiture of 5% of the deposited amount. However, this condition does not apply if HAREDA initiates the cancellation.

If it is discovered at any point before the pump installation that an applicant has provided incorrect information, the Department/HAREDA may reject the application and forfeit 10% of the payment deposited for installing the solar pump.

HAREDA will install the solar pumps through empanelled firms, and the installation process is expected to take approximately three months from the date of the work order.

An additional 70 days may also be allowed with a penalty in general conditions. In exceptional circumstances or force majeure events, the installation may take longer than the specified timeline.

Beneficiaries are prohibited from shifting, selling, or transferring their solar pumps to any other person.

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