In the past three years, Pakistan’s agriculture sector has seen two major developments. The cost of electricity for agricultural tube wells has surged from Rs11 to Rs44 per unit kilowatt-hour (kWh), while the price of solar panels has dramatically dropped from Rs130 to Rs35 per watt. These changes have significantly accelerated the adoption of solar-powered tube wells throughout the country.
Despite expectations, the federal budget for 2024 maintained tax exemptions for solar panel imports while imposing an 18 percent sales tax on essential items like pharmaceuticals, infant formula, and other food products. This has further driven down the cost of solar panels and accelerated the shift to solar energy.
Currently, converting an existing tube well to solar power costs between Rs0.75 million and Rs2 million for a 10 to 30-kilowatt system. Although this is a substantial investment for small and medium-sized farmers, the steep rise in electricity tariffs has shortened the payback period to just two to two and a half years, making it an attractive option.
This shift to solar energy is beneficial, providing a clean and sustainable alternative to diesel-powered tube wells and grid electricity, which primarily comes from fossil fuels like coal, gas, or diesel—major contributors to global warming and climate change. Additionally, it helps reduce fuel imports, addressing Pakistan’s large trade deficit.
Solar-powered tube wells have eased the financial burden on farmers by lowering irrigation costs, which is crucial for crops like rice, sugarcane, and maize, especially as they face rising agricultural input costs, erratic weather, and declining international crop prices.
However, environmentalists worry that the widespread adoption of solar-powered tube wells could lead to excessive groundwater extraction. With free access to groundwater, there is less incentive for farmers to use water efficiently or invest in conservation technologies.
Their concerns are supported by the data: rice cultivation, which is water-intensive, has expanded by 22.2% in a year. The availability of free groundwater, facilitated by solar power, has driven this expansion, exacerbating the issue as surface water availability declines due to sediment build-up in dams. From 2016-17 to 2022-23, surface water availability dropped from 101.1 million acre-feet (MAF) to 72.7 MAF.
In Punjab alone, where 1.3 million tube wells operate, groundwater overexploitation is a growing problem, with extraction rates surpassing natural recharge rates. This has led to a declining water table and deteriorating groundwater quality.
Opposition to the government-supported solarization of tube wells has emerged from various groups, but halting the adoption of new technology due to its drawbacks is counterproductive. Instead, the focus should be on leveraging the benefits of new technology while regulating to mitigate negative impacts.
Currently, groundwater pumping in Pakistan is unregulated, with no restrictions on tube well installation or water extraction. Many other countries have implemented regulations to ensure sustainable use of natural resources, and Pakistan should follow suit.
To address these issues, four key interventions are needed:
1. **Licensing System**: Introduce a licensing system for tube wells, aligning the size of the borehole with farm size, considering factors like agro-climatic zone, cropping patterns, local water table, and surface water availability.
2. **Volumetric Charging**: Implement a system where farmers with solar-powered tube wells are charged based on the volume of groundwater extracted, using volumetric meters. Charges should balance not overburdening farmers while ensuring the value of the resource is recognized. The Punjab Irrigation Department’s data on tube wells could facilitate this initiative.
3. **High-Efficiency Irrigation**: Make the solarization of tube wells conditional on adopting high-efficiency irrigation technologies such as drip, sprinkler, and centre pivot systems. These should be offered as part of government-sponsored solarization programs, with subsidies or low-interest loans.
4. **Groundwater Recharge**: Implement farm-level interventions for artificial aquifer recharge through rainwater harvesting, using both surface and deep underground methods to improve the water table and manage flood risks.
Instead of channeling the tax revenue from solar-powered tube wells into the government budget, it should be allocated to a dedicated fund managed by academic institutions and farmers’ associations to support groundwater recharge projects.
Khalid Wattoo is a farmer and development professional, and Sara Mehmood is a researcher specializing in climate change, environmental sciences, and forestry.
