Less water for farming, more for drinking (Hindu 03 July 2010)

JAIPUR: Rajasthan is trying to reduce its water consumption in agriculture while ensuring productivity. The farm sector consumes as much as 83 per cent of the available water in this arid State and even a five per cent reduction in water use can help mitigate the drinking water problem in thousands of villages, it is pointed out. The initiative has come from the Rajasthan Planning Board.
“The State is facing a severe water crisis and we have to look for best use of the available water. As irrigation claims the bulk of the water consumed in the State, there is ample scope for saving some for drinking purposes,” says Prof. V. S. Vyas, Deputy Chairman of the Planning Board, who recently brought together experts and officials of agriculture and irrigation for rationalisation of water use. Dr. Samra, Director of the Rainfed Agriculture Development Authority, and agriculture expert R. S. Paroda also attended the meeting.
“The idea is to increase the productivity of water in agriculture,” said Prof. Vyas, who was recently nominated by the Reserve Bank of India as chairman of the advisory committee on flow of credits to agriculture. “There will be short-term and medium-term steps prior to the onset of the monsoon in the State followed by long-term measures,” he said.
“The immediate steps would include large-scale promotion of micro irrigation (drip and sprinkler) techniques besides trying out conservation farming with furrow irrigation, SIR method of rice production and plastic mulching. We want to introduce incentives as well by offering priority farm power connections only to those who agree to adopt micro irrigation,” Prof. Vyas said. Target areas in reduction of water use would be the Indira Gandhi Canal Project area and the Chambal Project area.
“The State has to discontinue with flood irrigation. A project for promotion of drip and sprinkler irrigation methods could be prepared and submitted to international funding agencies,” he suggested. The experts feel that introduction of hybrid and water efficient seeds of major crops for Rajasthan -- maize, millet, cotton and arhar -- could also make a big difference.
As has been tried out in Punjab, the attempt would be to make farmers utilise the maximum rainwater available. For this they would have to be informed in advance about the time needed for each crop/seed variety and the possible weather conditions. Decisions on release of water in the canal area as well as the dates for purchase of the produce under support price would be made keeping in mind the time-span needed for this kind of cropping.
“Those who sow the seeds early before the rains and then make use of the ground water to reach the market early for better prices will be discouraged,” Prof.Vyas said.
He said future planning could include enactment of legislation on groundwater use, diversification of crops, large-scale plantation of trees and linking of rivers in neighbouring States. “I am not talking about the national river grid programme. If rivers flowing in M.P. and Rajasthan are linked it is going to benefit both States,” he said.