Irrigation and issues

Out of the net irrigated area, about 40% is irrigated through canal systems and 60% is irrigated through groundwater. An important challenge facing the irrigation Is growing gap between Irrigation Potential Created (IPC) and Irrigation Potential Utilized (IPU), and uneven distribution of water over the length of the canal system. The overall irrigation efficiency of the major and medium irrigation projects is estimated to be around 38%

• about 35-40% water could be saved and 20-25% reduction in fertilizer use could be ensured by scheduling of irrigation.
• Moisture sensors and automated irrigation systems controlled by a farmer using mobile phone provide better control of irrigation
• Constructive use of water: use of recycled water and proper selection of crops help in enhancing water security.
• Alternatives:cultivation of Fruits, Millets, Bajra and selection of proper varieties of crops
• Using Bio mulch and Hydro Gels ensures slow release of water and utilising microbes that help in efficient absorption of water ensure reduced and proper utilisation of water in agriculture.
• Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojana (PMKSY) District Irrigation Plans based on the technical support from ICAR 
• ICAR help preparing State Specific Action Plan for water sector for scientific assessment of the supply and demand side of water resources and vulnerability to climate change under National Water Mission. This will help to formulate annual State/UT Water Budgets and hence, allocation and efficient utilization of available water resources. 

Micro irrigation technologies advantages 

• helps in water saving, reduction in fertilizer usage, labour expenses and other inputs and input costs.
• enhances crop productivity and improves soil health
• saved water can be used for extended coverage of area under irrigation for a longer duration.
• ultimately lead to environmental sustainability
• can save water up to 40 50 per cent over conventional flood irrigation methods along with enhanced agricultural productivity.

impact of Micro Irrigation

• enhancement of crop productivity due to judicious use of water and other inputs. Crop productivity was increased in fruits and vegetables 42.3 per cent and 52.8 per cent respectively.
• Increase in irrigated area 8.41 percent from the same source of water.
• Reduction in irrigation cost by 20 per cent -50 per cent with an average 32.3 per cent.
• Reduction in energy consumption by about 31 per cent.
• Reduction in the use of chemical fertilizers by 7 per cent- 42 per cent with an average 28 per cent.
• Overall Farmers income increased by 20 % -68 % with an average increase of 48.5 per cent.
• Benefit-cost ratio was greater than one across the states.
• additional benefits like non-exploitation of groundwater; reduction in the cost of weeding and relief from water scarcity induced labour migration.
• reduce conveyance losses, evaporation, runoff, deep percolation losses.
• functional with small water wells also.
• focussed water application, the overall efficiency of water in drip irrigation and sprinkler irrigation are 80-90 per cent and 50 -70 per cent respectively.
• much higher than that of surface flooding (30 - 40 per cent).
• Water application efficiency was reported as 30 - 70 per cent for flooding, 60-80 per cent for sprinkler and 90 per cent for drip irrigation.
• Surface water moisture evaporation is same for sprinkler and flooding (30-40 per cent) whereas the same is only 20- 25 per cent in drip irrigation.

Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojana (PMKSY)

• launched with the motto of providing 'Har Khet Ko Paani'
• aims at providing end- to- end solutions in irrigation supply chain viz., water resources, distribution network, farm level applications and improved water use efficiency.
• Centrally sponsored scheme 50:50 Aim to achieve convergence of investments in irrigation sector at field level.
• Micro irrigation Fund (MIF) with an initial corpus of Rs. 5000 crore in Union Budget 2017- 18 help the States to mobilize additional resources for increasing the coverage under Micro irrigation through special and innovative Governments.
• total area covered under Micro irrigation by the year 2018-19 is 11.58 Lakh Ha.  The area covered under drip irrigation is 5.75 Lakh Ha and that of sprinkler irrigation is 5.83 Lakh Ha.

Water Challenges in Agriculture

Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) report State of Food and Agriculture, 2020 with the theme ‘overcoming water challenges in agriculture’. 

Key findings Report

• 3.2 billion People live in agricultural areas with high to very high water shortages or scarcity.
• Roughly 1/6th of the world’s population live in severely water-constrained agricultural areas.
• Globally, the annual amount of available freshwater resources per person has declined by more than 20% in the past two decades
• Socio-economic development contributes to shifting of diets towards more water-intensive foods (e.g. meat and dairy products).
• Rising competition for water and the effects of climate change are leading to tensions and conflicts among stakeholders, thereby exacerbating inequalities in access to water.

How severe is water scarcity problem in India?

Why Agriculture holds the key to tackling water scarcity in India?

• India has witnessed a dramatic increase in water demand for all uses: agricultural, industrial, and domestic. However, agricultural irrigation accounts for 90% of India’s freshwater withdrawals (global average being 70%)
• Between 2000 and 2017 India’s groundwater depletion increased by as much as 23%.
• India’s annual agricultural water withdrawal is the highest in the world followed by China and the United States. 
• Inspite of China having larger area under irrigation than India, China withdraws much less water for agricultural purposes. India’s agricultural practices are highly water inefficient that also makes such practices unsustainable.
  
  

What has made Indian Agriculture practices water inefficient?

• Water intensive crops: like rice, wheat and sugarcane, are the most water consuming crops.
• Unintended consequences of government policies that changed the cropping pattern for worse: withdrawal of more ground water for sustaining and enhancing the production.
• Green revolution led to marginalization of water efficient crops (millets, oilseeds and pulses) and promotion of water intensive wheat and rice
• Rice and sugarcane are more suitable for eastern states (they receive better rainfall and are also endowed with perennial rivers). However, Punjab produces more rice and Maharashtra produces more Sugarcane than eastern states.
• Degradation of soil in Green revolution belt reduced the water productivity: Excessive use of fertilizers and chemicals. For example, Punjab requires 2-3 times more water than Bihar and West Bengal to produce a kilogram of rice.
• Traditional irrigation practices: flood irrigation method which has only 50% water use efficiency.
• Poor conservation of water: India captures only 8% of its annual rainfall (the lowest in the world). Additionally, about 80% of the water that reaches households, leaves as waste and pollutes our water bodies and environment.

What is being done by the government to overcome water challenges in Agriculture

• Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojana (PMKSY): nsure access to some means of protective irrigation to all agricultural farms in the country (Har Khet ko Pani).
• Per Drop More Crop (PMKSY- PDMC) focusing on micro irrigation systems (sprinkler, drip, pivots, rain-guns etc.) that promote precision farming by making water available in a targeted manner to the root zone of crops. 
• Watershed Development Component of PMKSY (WDC-PMKSY): effective management of runoff water and improved soil & moisture conservation activities such as ridge area treatment, drainage line treatment, rain water harvesting, in - situ moisture conservation and other allied activities on watershed basis
• Micro irrigation fund: corpus of Rs. 5000 crore with NABARD to supplement the PMKSY-PDMC. It aims to extend loans to state governments to undertake special and innovative projects in micro irrigation.
• Jal Shakti Abhiyaan a campaign for water conservation and water security by the Ministry of Jal Shakti. The campaign is driven by citizen participation and has 5 important water conservation interventions: 
• Rainwater harvesting;
• Renovation of traditional and other water bodies/tanks
• Reuse bore well recharge structures;
• Watershed development;
• Intensive afforestation.
• Crop diversification/Promotion of millets: Jowar, Bajra, Ragi and minor millets - nutri-cereals (due to presence of high amount of micronutrients). These are climate smart crops (resistant to climate change) are highly resistant to water scarcity. Therefore, following efforts are made for their promotion (enhancing cultivation and consumption)
• Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers’ Welfare is running a Rs 600-crore scheme to increase the area, production and yield of nutri-cereals. 
• Minimum support price (MSP) on millets was hiked this
• Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA) is preparing a perspective Action Plan for increasing export of Millet and Millet Products for a period five years (2021-2026).

Way Forward

• Climate sensitive agricultural policies: Price reforms and doing away with unsustainable subsidy is need of the hour for resolving the water crisis caused by the agriculture.
• The spread of drip and sprinkler irrigation systems should be increased rapidly with state support.
• Promotion of new agronomic practices: like sub-surface irrigation, raised bead planting ridge-furrow method of sowing, and precision farming, Zero budget natural farming, conservation farming etc. They have the potential to enhance water-use efficiency in agriculture.

With the growing population demand for fresh water would also rise. Therefore, holistic and integrated approach should be devised for efficient conservation and utilization of water more so by agriculture.

Accelerated Irrigation Benefits Programme

Central Government launched the AIBP in the year 1996-97 to provide Central Assistance to major/medium irrigation projects in the country.

• implemented by Ministry of Jal Shakti.
• Objectives
• To accelerate implementation of such projects which were beyond the resource capability of the states.
• To focus on faster completion of ongoing Major and Medium Irrigation including National Projects.
• After Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchai Yojana (PMKSY) in 2015-16, AIBP became a part of PMKSY. 
• aims to ensure access to some means of protective irrigation to all agricultural farms in the country, to produce ‘per drop more crop’, thus bringing much desired rural prosperity.
• focuses on major and medium irrigation projects that involve an area of more than 2000 hectares
• 297 Irrigation / Multi-Purpose Projects have been included for funding under AIBP.

Shortcomings in AIBP

• Frequent modification in design and scope of the work: due to deficiencies in preparation and planning of Detailed Project Reports (DPRs) like
• Inadequate surveys
• Inaccurate assessment water availability
• Inaccurate calculation of Cost Benefit (CB) ratio
• Revision in cost estimates after commencement of work
• Violation of project guidelines: PAC projects and schemes were included in the programme in violation of project guidelines resulting in irregular release of Rs. 3,718 crore
• Deficiencies in financial management: cases of non/short release of funds, delay in release of funds at various levels and non-adjustment of unspent balances of funds in the subsequent release. the utilisation certificates of funds, amounting to Rs. 2187 crore, that constituted 37% of the total central assistance received by the state agencies were not submitted to the implementing ministry in time
• Instances of diversion of funds, short or non-realisation of revenue, tardy implementations of projects were also observed by the PAC
• Deficiencies in monitoring: Lax monitoring by the central and state agencies is also a major problem

Way ahead

• Comprehensive revision of the guidelines
• Ministry of Jal Shakti should consult all the stakeholders and state governments and assess the need for a comprehensive revision of the guidelines. 
• frame timelines for the inclusion of projects, which may include the possibility of changes, so as to remove the need for frequent revisions.
• Concrete action should be taken to adhere to the guidelines and timelines thus formed.
• Changes in implantation of the projects
• deficiencies in preparing and processing of DPRs such as delays, inadequate surveys, and inaccurate assessment of command area should be rectified.
• Fiscal management
• uniform parameter for calculation of CB ratio should be adopted. ✓ CB ratio for projects should be reviewed continuously and be based on realistic assumptions.
• take strict actions on instances of short/non- realisation of revenue. 
• form a separate cell to examine cases of undue benefits to contractors.
• Transparency and Accountability: more DPRs of the projects being implemented under AIBP should be open for audits
• put in place a mechanism to monitor the due diligence of states in adhering to guidelines.
• Improving monitoring of the scheme
• use of satellite imagery and field reports can increase effective monitoring of the irrigation potential
• Strengthening the participatory model of irrigation through Water Users Associations to tackle various issues related to irrigation.
• Ministry of Jal Shakti should increase its efforts in facilitating the formation of Water Users Associations in all states.