Chapter 8 Policy Recommendation
8.2. W ATER U SE M ANAGEMENT
Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojana (PMKSY) is a very comprehensive government initiative, that aims to address end-to-end issues all along the chain of water management.
Some suggestions in this regard are:
8.2.1. ‘Har Khet Ko Panni’ – Increasing water sources.
i) In addition to the ongoing 99 number of major and medium irrigation projects (AIBP- Accelerated Irrigation Benefit Project) taken up for completion by December, 2019, the remaining 50 such long pending projects may also be taken by expanding the size of the corpus fund under LTIF (Long Term Irrigation Fund).
A mission mode approach to water conservation in rainfed areas should get top priority.
ii) A minimum of 1 (one) million small water storage/diversion weirs / water harvesting structure may be planned per annum.
MGNREGA would be the best source of funding these. In addition to creating new systems, renovation and modernization of traditional systems also need attention.
iii) The tail ends of command areas of major and medium irrigation projects are generally deprived of water availability. The reasons could include poorly maintained distribution system, non-adherence to notified cropping patterns (opting for water guzzling crops like paddy, sugarcane etc. in lieu of low water duty crops) and excessive use by headrace farmers.
8.2.2. Promoting water use efficiency – ‘Per drop more crop’.
A drop of water saved is a drop of water created. This needs the highest attention through adoption of precision technology and efficient water management practices. Some suggestions are as follows:
i. Currently the gap between the irrigation potential created (IPC) and irrigation potential used (IPU) is a staggering high of 23 million ha. (mha). Closing this gap deserves the highest attention.
ii. Operation and Maintenance (O and M) of the distribution system is below standard, causing water leakage and wastage. This needs to improve, and involvement of people
through ‘Participatory Irrigation Management (PIM)’ would be useful.
iii. Precision agriculture by way of micro-irrigation (drip and sprinkler); and sensor-drone- big data analytics based technology is important. Micro-irrigation (MI) must become a compulsory agenda in all forms of irrigation – flow, lift, small sources (WHS/DW/Ponds etc.). In all command areas of minor/medium/major irrigation projects, micro irrigation system should be compulsorily adopted.
As of date, less than 10 million ha. of the total of 63 Mha. of irrigated area is covered under M.I.
An annual coverage of a minimum of 2.5 Mha. is necessary to quickly achieve water use efficiency and narrow the gap between IPC and IPU.
Under ‘Krishi Bhagaya’ programme of Karnataka, small irrigation ponds dug in rainfed areas have proved very useful in protecting a standing crop from monsoon vagaries, when connected with steel conveyor and MI system. This programme deserves to be scaled up in a major way across the rainfed areas of the country.
iv. Crop alignment and Conservation agriculture must be strictly practised in all command areas.
8.2.3. Ground water recharge
i. Ground water accounts for 60 per cent of the irrigated area in the country. Due to over- exploitation, large tracts including in the food bowl of the country (Punjab, Western Uttar Pradesh, Haryana) have turned into ‘dark zones’.
These need to be treated urgently by adopting multi-pronged approach of ground water recharge, crop alignment and community based water management. Watershed based treatment should form the principle of intervention.
It is time to consider whether power supply at no cost or even at highly concessional rate is appropriate. This approach has led to ‘caution lessness’ habit among water users to the disadvantage of the larger farmer community. The power tariff structure may be revisited, while compensating the farmers by direct payment of a certain sum on per ha.
basis linked to measured actual use. This is likely to check indiscreet use of water management.
For example, the Telengana Model of paying Rs.4,000 per acre per season to the farmers to defray some of their farm expenses may be a good way out with suitable modifications. This may bring greater discipline in drawing ground water. In fact, farmers may be willing to pay, if the service quality is improved. There is much that is wanted in this regard.
ii. Latest technology that helps in remote operation of the water pump may also be promoted.
iii. Ground water table needs consistent monitoring by installing piezometic in all the Gram Panchayats. Now that water budget has been estimated for all the districts under the
‘District Irrigation Plans (DIPs)’, a close monitoring of water use and water recharge would be possible to realise a balanced water budget. A web based platform would serve as a good dashboard for such monitoring.
8.2.4. Special emphasis on rainfed areas
The poverty map of India and the rainfed area map tend to overlap. As brought out in Volume I of the DFI Report, the ratio of farm income is lower compared to non-farm income in drought prone districts of the country.
According to the ‘Rainfed Atlas’ of ‘Revitalising, Rainfed Agriculture Network (RRAN)’, about 55 of the 100 poorest districts in the country are rainfed. Of the bottom10 poorest districts, seven (7) are rainfed districts.
Hence, in the strategy for doubling farmers’ income, the rainfed regions should get highest attention. The optimal solutions are:
Ensure protective irrigation, which can come from small water storage structure.
Adopt watershed management, integrated farming and conservation agriculture.
Grow alternative crops – food crops such as millets which are climate resilient and need less of water as also other inputs.
8.2.5. Water pricing and regulation
i. By strengthening ‘Water Users’ Associations (WUAs)’ and transferring them the O&M responsibilities of tertiary distribution system; water rate collection; and release of water on volumetric basis, which is purchased by the WUAs should be thought of for introduction in phases. This of course is only a long term intervention.
ii. Block system of irrigation –
Due to continuous use of water (particularly through flood system), many soils (especially black soils with high water absorption capacity) in many major command areas have turned saline & alkaline.
A block system of irrigation, whereunder, the water is released only on one side of the main canal in alternate seasons (Kharif-Rabi) may be tested. This will motivate farmers to go for alternate and low water duty crops like pulses, oilseeds & millets in the season, when water is not released by using available soil moisture. This will improve the soil health steadily.
iii. Promote use of recycled water to expand peri-urban cultivation and water harvesting in habitations to adopt kitchen gardening, roof top gardening, hydroponics etc.
In fact in case of large metropolitan cities, where sewerage discharges are huge, secondary treated water can be used in agriculture in the hinterland cultivation zones.
For example, in case of Bengaluru urban agglomerate (with a population of 10 million), secondary treated sewerage water is adequate to fill all the ponds in the neighbouring 3-4 rainfed districts and enable supply of protective irrigation when rains fail.