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India’s agricultural solar programme, PM-KUSUM, has installed over 2.5 million solar pumps in five years. As the government prepares PM-KUSUM 2.0, the key challenge is to expand clean-energy irrigation without worsening India’s groundwater crisis.

Solar Irrigation–Groundwater Link

Solar irrigation is not inherently harmful to groundwater. Its impact depends on the design of the solar model, ownership, pricing incentives, local hydrogeology and cropping pattern.

• Grid-connected solar: Farmers can sell surplus electricity to the grid, creating an incentive to reduce pumping. Under Gujarat’s Suryashakti Kisan Yojana (SKY), farmers received around ?7/unit and earned about ?21,900 annually on average. Solar farmers showed slower growth in energy consumption and irrigation than non-solar farmers.
• Fee-for-service model: In Bangladesh, solar pump operators supplied water to multiple farmers within a fixed command area. Despite solar irrigation being 20–30% cheaper than diesel, farmers did not apply more water because excessive use by one farmer reduced the operator’s ability to serve others.
• Standalone pumps: Outcomes vary according to pump capacity, groundwater depth and operating experience.

Regional Approach is Essential

Groundwater impacts differ with aquifer characteristics, soil, cropping patterns and returns from irrigation.

• Punjab–Haryana: Irrigation is already widespread and dominated by rice and wheat; therefore, solarisation can primarily reduce energy subsidies and emissions rather than significantly expand irrigation.
• Eastern India: Large rainfed areas suffer from unreliable electricity and high diesel costs. Here, solar pumps can expand irrigation access, productivity and climate resilience.

Water–Energy–Food Nexus

Groundwater irrigation generates an estimated 45–62 million tonnes of CO? annually, while agricultural electricity subsidies exceed ?1 lakh crore/year. Solar irrigation can reduce both.

In Gujarat, a grid-connected solar farmer offsets about 12.3 tonnes of CO? annually, while subsidy savings reportedly covered nearly one-fourth of government investment within two years.

PM-KUSUM: Way Forward

Under PM-KUSUM 2.0, policy should be region-specific:

• Expand grid-connected solar in water-stressed regions with incentives for water conservation.
• Improve feed-in tariffs/buyback prices and simplify grid connectivity.
• Combine feeder solarisation with micro-irrigation and direct incentives for reduced pumping.
• Use models such as Punjab’s Pani Bachao, Paisa Kamao and Haryana’s Mera Pani Meri Virasat.
• Retain standalone pumps in irrigation-deficit, poorly electrified and low-groundwater-risk areas.
• Promote Water User Associations, farmer cooperatives and water-selling entrepreneurs rather than only individual pump ownership.