Ved Prakash Chaudhary, V.K. Singh, Prashant Rai, A B Gupta, C. P. Sawant
ABSTRACT Energy-intensive groundwater irrigation powered by grid-electricity and diesel pumps is a significant source of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in Indian agriculture, particularly in water demanding rice-based cropping systems. Solar photovoltaic (PV) pumping offers a low-carbon alternative, yet field-scale assessments integrating energy use, emissions, groundwater response, and farm economics remain limited for Himalayan foothill regions. This study evaluated performance of solar PV-irrigation systems implemented under the PMKSY–Har Khet Ko Pani–Ground Water scheme in Udhamsingh Nagar and Haridwar districts, Uttarakhand, India. Data were collected from 45 installations through field measurements, system inspections, groundwater monitoring, and interviews with 225 farmers. Irrigation water demand, energy consumption, operating costs, and life-cycle GHG emissions were quantified and compared with grid-electric and diesel systems. Solar irrigation revealed substantially lower carbon intensity (0.045 kg CO₂-eq ha⁻¹ mm⁻¹) than grid-electric (6.07 kg CO₂-eq ha⁻¹ mm⁻¹) and diesel pumping (1.91 kg CO₂-eq ha⁻¹ mm⁻¹). For a representative 5 ha rice–rice–wheat system, annual emissions declined from 26.3 t CO₂-eq under grid electricity to 4.4 t CO₂-eq with solar pumping. Crop diversification further reduced irrigation demand by 41% and reduced daily pumping hour by 3.2 h, improving water and energy efficiency. Operating costs decreased by > 95% compared to diesel and electric systems, while surplus solar electricity generated opportunities for additional farm income. Overall, solar PV irrigation substantially lowers emissions, reduces production costs, and enhances livelihood resilience. Integrating renewable energy utilization with crop diversification and groundwater governance is essential to ensure long-term sustainability and scalable climate mitigation benefits in groundwater-dependent agricultural regions.