Solar power now runs half of Pakistan's 1.83m tubewells

July 09, 2026 (MLN): Solar energy has become the dominant power source for irrigation tubewells across Pakistan, running 912,327 of the country's 1.83 million tubewells as of the 7th Agricultural Census 2024.

This outpaced both diesel (513,552 units) and grid electricity (396,488 units), according to Pakistan Bureau of Statistics data.

The finding marks one of the more significant shifts captured in the census's agricultural machinery results, pointing to rapid, farmer-led adoption of solar irrigation technology over the past decade, likely driven by rising diesel and electricity costs alongside falling solar panel prices.

Solar also leads for lift pumps specifically, powering 47,538 units nationally compared to 16,948 diesel-powered and 11,399 electric-powered lift pumps.

The overall tubewell and lift pump count reached 1.83 million nationally, up 97% from 931,048 in 2004, itself more than double the 454,257 recorded in 1994.

PBS described the 2004–2024 increase as a record rise in irrigation infrastructure since independence, citing it as a key factor behind rising crop yields even as cultivated area has grown more slowly.

Provincial patterns in solar adoption vary considerably. In Punjab, which accounts for the bulk of the national tubewell stock at 1.54 million units, solar-powered tubewells number 862,238 against 350,213 electric and 331,059 diesel units.

Sindh's tubewell stock, while far smaller at 76,384 units, shows a similar solar tilt, with 36,246 solar-powered tubewells against 25,017 diesel and just 7,050 electric, likely reflecting weaker or costlier grid access in parts of the province.

Balochistan stands out for the opposite reason: diesel remains dominant there, powering 123,495 of its 151,394 tubewells, with solar penetration comparatively limited at 2,440 units.

The shift carries implications for Pakistan's rural energy and import-substitution policy, given diesel's exposure to global oil prices and the government's continuing push to expand renewable energy financing schemes for agriculture.

It may also feed into ongoing debates around groundwater depletion, as cheaper solar power removes a key cost constraint that previously limited tubewell operating hours in some regions.

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