Why Tamil Nadu farmers are switching on solar pumps ditching free power

Working through the day in a Coimbatore manufacturing industry unit, Prem Kumar has often heard his co-workers declare with an unfazed degree of finality that farmers of Tamil Nadu do not deserve free power. Kumar says he has never tried to counter the narrative since he understands where his co-workers are coming from. Industries cross-subsidise free power and so end up paying more per unit of electricity so that the government can supply free electricity to farmers.

The reality many in Tamil Nadu seem to be missing is that only a fraction of farmers in the state get power free of cost. A fact that is reflected in growing number of farmers spending on solar pumps.

Born to a family of farmers, Kumar says, while cross-subsidisation is a truth, it is also true that not every farmer gets electricity free of cost. “It hurts to hear disparaging remarks about farmers enjoying free power because I hail from a farming family and I know the ground reality. Not every farmer gets free power. Even those who get it face a lot of difficulties,” he says.

In 1984, Tamil Nadu was among the first states to promise free power to farmers and for many involved in farming, it remains just that – a promise. With applications pending for up to 20 years, farmers are turning to solar power to meet their irrigation needs.

Free power for farmers

In September 1984, the AIADMK government under MG Ramachandran introduced free power for small and marginal farmers, to facilitate irrigation. Five years later, the government extended the scheme to all farmers.

“About 22 lakh pumps have free power connection now. About six lakh farmers are on the waiting list for free power, many of them for 20 years,” says Dhanapal, a Nagapattinam-based farmer and convenor of Cauvery Delta Farmers’ Association.

The data matches official figures. While presenting the agriculture budget, minister for Agriculture and Farmers Welfare MRK Panneerselvam, said that free electricity is provided for 22.19 lakh motors for farmers in Tamil Nadu.

Tamil Nadu has a total of 79.38 lakh operational landholdings, according to the agriculture census of 2015-16. The data clearly shows that hardly one-third of the farmers in the state get free power.

Power problems

Suresh Babu of Keezhaiyur village near Madurai registered for free power in 2003. As his village gets water from Mullai Periyar dam, he used to grow a single paddy crop. If the region got sufficient rain, farmers like Babu grew short-term crops that did not need much water, but found it difficult to sustain on that income.

To tap into groundwater, Babu drilled a borewell and got an electricity connection on paying a tatkal fee after a frustrating wait for free power. “I got it under tatkal scheme, by paying Rs 2.5 lakh. Even for that I had to wait for more than a year,” he says. The problems didn’t end with getting the connection. During summer months, power cuts are frequent and long. “Even in the other months the voltage fluctuates,” Babu says.

Officials, who do not want to be identified, confirm that interrupted power supply is a policy decision. AD Thirumoorthy, a Coimbatore-based energy consultant, says that farmers get only a regulated supply of power. “It’s also part of load management, since the state requires more load during the day for domestic and commercial consumption,” Thirumoorthy says.

Farming does not only need irrigation, but timely irrigation.

To meet their power demands, many farmers are forced to use diesel-powered pumps to irrigate to that their crops don’t die. “Diesel rate keeps increasing, eating into our profit,” says Chandran, a farmer in Tirunelveli district.

Subsidy for solar pumps

In the 2019-20 budget, the state government allocated Rs 84.09 crore for installing 2,000 solar pumps, with a subsidy allocation of 90 per cent of the cost of solar pumps. Farmers who wanted solar pumps were required to cancel their application for free power.

A. Sivashanmugham, a retired LIC officer and social activist, decided to cancel his free power application and opt for government’s solar pump scheme, for his farm near Musiri. Sivashanmugham says he paid nearly Rs 50,000 for a 5HP pump with the government bearing the rest. The government gives 5HP, 7.5HP and 10HP pumps, which cost 3.75 lakh, 4.75 lakh and 5.75 lakh respectively, under its subsidy scheme.

Later, the government withdrew the condition of cancelling free power application if applying for solar pumps.

The state now promotes the central government’s Pradhan Mantri – Kisan Urja Suraksha evam Utthaan Mahabhiyan (PM-KUSUM). Run by the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy and announced in 2019, Component B of the scheme offers 70 per cent subsidy – 30 per cent and 40 per cent from central and state governments respectively, for installing off-grid solar pumps. These pumps work as long as there is sunlight.

KUSUM-B aims to install 17.50 lakh pumps across India by December 31, 2022. As on March 31 this year only 2.89 lakh pumps were installed – meeting 16 per cent of the target.

In his budget speech, Tamil Nadu agriculture minister Panneerselvam announced that 5,000 solar pumps will be installed in 2021-22, dovetailing it with KUSUM-B.

Non-subsided solar pumps

In 2020, Thiruvannamalai district’s agriculture engineering department installed 22 solar pumps under government’s subsidy scheme. This number is an example of subsidised pump uptake in districts.

“Fields near water bodies are not eligible for free power. As for eligible farmers, just like the long wait for free electricity, they wait for subsidised solar pumps,” says Maharaja Shankar, who has been installing non-subsidised solar pumps across Tamil Nadu for the last five years.

Farmers such as Suresh Babu and Chandran have installed solar-powered pumps. Chandran did so with a bank loan. “I use solar pump from February to July, till the rainy season starts,” says Suresh Babu.

N Venugopal of Erode has been installing solar pumps for more than 10 years. He says that farmers can invest Rs 2.5 lakh for solar pumps instead of spending the same on electricity under the tatkal scheme.

Farmers, who have installed solar pumps, agree saying they have hassle-free irrigation now. They see it as a one-time investment as there is hardly any maintenance and gives the farmers a sense of self-reliance. It is little wonder then that the number of farmers opting for solar pumps in Tamil Nadu is growing.