Kusum Scheme

The Central Government has announced the Kisan Urja Suraksha evam Utthaan Mahabhiyan (KUSUM) programme, which seeks to increase solar electricity output in India while simultaneously providing farmers with the advantages of solar farming. For 10 years, the Union Budget 2018-19 has put out Rs.48000 crores for this scheme.

The Central Government modified an existing component of the PM-KUSUM programme – a farmer income assistance and de-dieseling programme – in March 2021 in order to focus its efforts on solarizing agricultural feeders rather than pumps. Farmers would no longer need to replace every old pump in a hamlet with a solar pump as a result of this change.

Kusum Scheme Details

• Kusum Programme is implemented by: The Ministry of New and Renewable Energy is in charge of this scheme.
  Initially, 1.75 million off-grid agricultural solar pumps would be distributed by the government.
• Solar installations with a capacity of 10,000 megawatts will be built on desolate ground.
• The state electricity distribution firms, or DISCOMS, will purchase the extra solar energy generated by farmers on barren fields. DISCOMS will be given incentives to purchase this power.
• The government's tube wells and current pumps will be adapted to run on solar electricity.
• Solar pumps will be subsidised at 60% for farmers. It will be instantly transferred into their bank accounts. The federal government and state governments will split the subsidies. A bank loan will be used to cover 30% of the cost. As a result, the farmers will be responsible for only 10% of the remaining costs.
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  The most up-to-date information about the PM KUSUM Scheme –

1. The KUSUM program's farmer focus has provided a boost to the farmer-oriented programme, which involves decentralised solar power generation of up to 28,250 MW over a five-year period.
2. Farmers will be able to sell additional electricity to the grid through the Kisan Urja Suraksha evam Utthaan Mahabhiyan (KUSUM) programme, which would be built up on their barren fields and would give them with additional money.
3. The scheme's scope was enlarged in the government's Budget for 2020-21, with 20 lakh farmers receiving aid to build freestanding solar pumps and another 15 lakh farmers receiving support to solarize existing grid-connected pump sets.

Kusum Scheme Benefits:

• It will allow for the decentralisation of solar energy generation.
• DISCOM transmission losses will be kept under control.
• The subsidy load on DISCOMS in the agricultural sector will be greatly reduced.
• Farmers will be able to sell excess electricity generated by solar plants installed on their barren fields to the grid as a result of this.
• It would give a boost to India's burgeoning green economy.
• The scheme will also assist India's agriculture sector in de-dieseling. The present diesel pumps will be replaced as a result of this.
• Other advantages that will accrue to farmers as a result of the execution of this scheme include water saving.

Kusum Scheme Drawbacks

• Water table depletion - Because of power subsidies, the recurrent cost of energy is so cheap that farmers continue to pump water, depleting the water table. In the event that the water table lowers in a solar system, upgrading to greater capacity pumps is significantly more difficult since a new solar panel must be installed, which is highly expensive.

• Omission of Small and Marginal Farmers - Because the programme concentrates on pumps with capacity of 3 HP and greater, there has been a relative omission of small and marginal farmers, resulting in Solar pumps not reaching the majority of farmers, who account for almost 85% of all farmers. Furthermore, low water tables, particularly in North India and portions of South India, make modest pumps impractical for farmers.

• There is a logistical issue with equipment availability in the United States. While local vendors have little trouble finding pumps, solar pumps are still in short supply. Furthermore, solar equipment producers must increase domestic cell sourcing owing to tight DCR (Domestic Content Requirements). However, local cell production capacity is insufficient.

Way Forward with Kusum Scheme

• Bring States Together: The viability of this decentralised solar power strategy hinges on a consensus between the Center and the States. Any change in India's power space would not be possible until the Centre, States, and other stakeholders reach an agreement.
• Solar Energy Pricing: Given the problems of increased implementation and comprehensive maintenance costs, the plan should be more appealing in terms of benchmark pricing for successful implementation and meaningful engagement by stakeholders.
• Sustainable Agriculture: In addition to transitioning to solar electricity, farmers should move to drip irrigation, which saves water and energy while increasing agricultural yield.