Deprecated (16384): The ArrayAccess methods will be removed in 4.0.0.Use getParam(), getData() and getQuery() instead. - /home/brlfuser/public_html/src/Controller/ArtileDetailController.php, line: 150
 You can disable deprecation warnings by setting `Error.errorLevel` to `E_ALL & ~E_USER_DEPRECATED` in your config/app.php. [CORE/src/Core/functions.php, line 311]
Deprecated (16384): The ArrayAccess methods will be removed in 4.0.0.Use getParam(), getData() and getQuery() instead. - /home/brlfuser/public_html/src/Controller/ArtileDetailController.php, line: 151
 You can disable deprecation warnings by setting `Error.errorLevel` to `E_ALL & ~E_USER_DEPRECATED` in your config/app.php. [CORE/src/Core/functions.php, line 311]
Warning (512): Unable to emit headers. Headers sent in file=/home/brlfuser/public_html/vendor/cakephp/cakephp/src/Error/Debugger.php line=853 [CORE/src/Http/ResponseEmitter.php, line 48]
Warning (2): Cannot modify header information - headers already sent by (output started at /home/brlfuser/public_html/vendor/cakephp/cakephp/src/Error/Debugger.php:853) [CORE/src/Http/ResponseEmitter.php, line 148]
Warning (2): Cannot modify header information - headers already sent by (output started at /home/brlfuser/public_html/vendor/cakephp/cakephp/src/Error/Debugger.php:853) [CORE/src/Http/ResponseEmitter.php, line 181]
NEWS ALERTS | More effort is needed for irrigation & efficient water-use, says latest agricultural report
More effort is needed for irrigation & efficient water-use, says latest agricultural report

More effort is needed for irrigation & efficient water-use, says latest agricultural report

Share this article Share this article
published Published on Oct 21, 2016   modified Modified on Oct 21, 2016

Expanding irrigation network in the country is considered as essential to raise agricultural production in the face of increased frequency of droughts. However, a newly released report from the Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare shows that there has actually been a fall in the growth rate of net irrigated area during the recent two decades.

The report entitled State of Indian Agriculture 2015-16 reveals that the growth rate in net irrigated area between 1990-91 and 2000-01 and also between 2000-01 and 2010-11 had hovered around 15.0 percent. However, prior to 2000-01, the decadal growth in net irrigated area was much higher i.e. stayed around 25 percent for almost 3 different decades.

Please check chart-1 to get an idea about decadal growth in net irrigated area.  
 
Chart 1 Net Irrigated Area
Source: State of Indian Agriculture 2015-16, Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare

The latest report from the agriculture ministry says that crop productivity in rainfed areas is comparatively low, which underlines the importance of irrigation for the country.

It needs to be mentioned here that although the irrigation potential of India is estimated at nearly 140 million hectares, presently only about 66 million hectares i.e. 47.6 percent of the cropped area is irrigated.

The report on Indian agriculture says that apart from the declining public investments in major and medium irrigation projects, issues related to rehabilitation and resettlement have become more prominent and difficult to address, especially after 1990.

It says that a major obstacle to expansion of irrigation network has been the underdevelopment of institutions, which are required to effectively manage water resources, especially at the micro-level.

There are numerous hurdles being faced by undertakings of large irrigation projects such as related to land acquisition, environmental issues, rehabilitation and resettlement etc. Management and maintenance of irrigation canal networks and field channels has become a major institutional challenge. All these factors make the expansion of surface irrigation difficult, says the report.

Besides, there is no clear-cut policy on the utilization of groundwater, and the supply of subsidized electricity by state governments is leading to wasteful exploitation of groundwater resources, says the report.

In states like Punjab and Haryana, where the water table has already reached a critical mark, the report has recommended for improving water-use efficiency, apart from shifting the cropping pattern towards low water-intensive crops so as to sustain agricultural production.

The latest edition of the State of Indian Agriculture report finds that only in a handful of states like Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, West Bengal, Tamil Nadu etc., more than 50 percent of area is irrigated. Although in several of the states less than 50 percent of areas is irrigated, the cropping intensity in such states remain quite high. The report says that targeted efforts are needed to expand irrigation in such states, where the investment is likely to increase cropping intensity. The states that could meet these criteria include Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Gujarat, Rajasthan, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu and West Bengal.

The report mentions that about 50 percent of water conservation can be done through the use of drip and sprinkler systems. It has recommended for encouraging water-use efficient technologies of drip irrigation, micro irrigation, sprinklers, etc., so as to reduce the pressure on water consumption by the agricultural sector, and also to reduce excessive withdrawal of groundwater.

The report says that under the National Mission on Micro Irrigation, so far an area of about 4 million hectare has been covered under micro irrigation. Till January 2016, nearly 4.3 percent of total expenditure under the MGNREGA was made on micro irrigation works.

Status of irrigation in India

As could be seen from table 1, cropping intensity has increased from 130.0 in 1990-91 to 138.9 in 2012-13, with fluctuations in between. Cropping intensity is defined as the ratio of gross sown area to net sown area multiplied by 100.  

Table 1: Irrigated land in India (in million hectares)
Table 1 Irrigated Land in India
Source: State of Indian Agriculture 2015-16, Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare
Note: ‘P’ means provisional data

While the net irrigated area has grown by 37.7 percent from 48.0 million hectares in 1990-91 to 66.1 million hectares in 2012-13, the gross irrigated area has increased by 46.5 percent from 63.2 million hectares in 1990-91 to 92.6 million hectares in 2012-13.
 
According to a document from the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (please click here to access), an irrigated plot growing crop in more than one season, is counted as many times as it is cropped to arrive at gross area irrigated. However, net area irrigated is the total of all the areas irrigated from different sources, counting each area irrigated only once even though it was irrigated more than once in the same year. 

Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojana

The Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojana (PMKSY) was launched on 1 July, 2015 with an outlay of Rs. 50,000 crores over a period of five years (2015-16 to 2019) so as to boost irrigation facilities.

According to the State of Indian Agriculture 2015-16 report, during the financial year 2015-16, three participating ministries/ departments released a total sum of Rs. 7298.7 crores to states for the implementation of the PMKSY programme. Under the ‘Per Drop More Crop’ component, the total area brought under micro irrigation in FY 2015-16 was about 5.4 lakh hectare. All implementing ministries/ departments have allocated Rs. 5717 crore for the PMKSY during 2016-17.

The PMKSY amalgamates ongoing schemes i.e. Accelerated Irrigation Benefit Programme (AIBP) of the Ministry of Water Resources, River Development & Ganga Rejuvenation; Integrated Watershed Management Programme (IWMP) of the Department of Land Resources; and On-Farm Water Management (OFWM) component of the National Mission on Sustainable Agriculture (NMSA) of the DAFC&W.

The key objectives and deliverables of the PMKSY are as follows:

a. The PMKSY envisages an end-to-end solution in the irrigation supply chain, viz., water sources, distribution network, efficient farm level application and extension services on new technologies and information.

b. The PMKSY focuses on improving water use efficiency so as to reduce wastage and increase availability both in duration and extend and bridging the gap between irrigation potential created and utilization. Under the scheme, special emphasis is on creating protective irrigation by harnessing rainwater at the micro level, through "Jal Sanchay" and "Jal Sinchan".

c. The PMKSY is meant for implementation in area development mode, adopting "decentralized state-level planning and projectized execution" and allowing states to draw up their own irrigation development plans. Through these comprehensive irrigation plans at the sub-district, district and state-level, it is expected to serve as a platform for convergence of investments in irrigation.

d. The PMKSY is expected to serve as an important tool for adaptation to climate change in the agriculture sector. Efficient use of water avoids anaerobic conditions in the soil and thereby reduces GHG emission.

The various components of PMKSY (Har Khet ko Pani) are source augmentation, distribution, ground water development, lift irrigation, diversion of water from water plenty to water scarce areas, supplementing rain water harvesting beyond the IWMP & the MGNREGA, and repair, restoration & renovation of traditional water bodies.

The different components of PMKSY (Per Drop More Crop) are micro-level storage structures, efficient water conveyance & application, precision irrigation systems, topping up of input cost beyond MGNREGA permissible limits, secondary storage, water lifting devices, extension activities, and coordination & management.

The components of PMKSY (Watershed) are ridge area treatment, drainage line treatment, soil and moisture conservation, water harvesting structure, livelihood support activities and other watershed works.


References


State of Indian Agriculture 2015-16, Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare, please click here to access,
 
Concepts and definitions, Ministry of Agriculture, please click here to access
 
Record increase in sown area under pulses during kharif 2016-17, shows latest data, Inclusive Media for Change newsalert, please click here to access
 
Mehdiganj fights back Coca-Cola’s groundwater overuse, Inclusive Media for Change newsalert, please click here to access

Vast gaps in Irrigation potential & utilization, Inclusive Media for Change newsalert, please click here to access
 
 
Image Courtesy: Himanshu Joshi 


Related Articles

 

Write Comments

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

*

Video Archives

Archives

share on Facebook
Twitter
RSS
Feedback
Read Later

Contact Form

Please enter security code
      Close