Agriculture Water Agriculture Water UseUse

Dr. Alok Kumar SikkaDDG (NRM),

Indian Council of Agricultural Research&

Technical Expert (Watershed Development),National Rainfed Area Authority,

Planning Commission, Government of IndiaNew Delhi

Population and Water ResourcesIndia has

2% of world’s land

4% of world’s freshwater resources

16 % of world’s population

17 % of world’s

cattle populationRainfall – 1,170 mm

(Global Average – 1,100 mm)

Minimum : Average : Maximum 1:10:100

Maximum Rainfall - 11,000 mm (Cherrapunji)

Minimum Rainfall -100 mm (Western

Rajasthan)

Variations from 4 days to over 300 days a year

and intensity from < 1 cm/hr up to 15 cm/hr.

Agriculture supports livelihood for 58% of population as labour

Contributes about 14% to GDP Essential role in national food

security & inclusive growth. Irrigation uses 83% of water,

diversion of water to agriculture expected to reduce

Ground water contributes 60% of irrigation water

80% small & marginal holders posses 36% land

2209

1820 1700

13401140

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1991 2001 StressCondition

2025 2050 Scarcitycondition

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Per c

aita

wat

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Per capita availability Population (million)

Per capita storage (cu.m.)

Source: Water and Related Statistics, Central Water Commission, 2010

Ultimate Potential 140 MhaM&M: 58.5 M&GW: 81.5(64)

Plan-wise irrigation potential created and utilized in India (Cumulative)

Source: Central Water Commission, 2010

123.33 Mha

91.12 Mha

74 %

WATER & AGRICULTURE Challenged with the situation of growing water scarcity and

increased demand for food.

Proposed food security bill.

Coarse cereals are also included in the bill and better chances of MSP enforcement.

Prioritise investment portfolio in agriculture and water to meet this challenge.

Increased irrigation efficiency and water productivity as response to growing challenges in water and agriculture in irrigated and rainfed areas.

Net irrigated area : ~ 63 M ha

Productivity very low : < 3 t/ha

Irrigation systems are supply driven

Efficiency is very low : 38%

Irrigation

Key Challenge: More Food with Less Water

Growing water scarcity and competing water demands for urban and environmental needs are expected to reduce diversion of water for agriculture in future.

Developing countries like India are most challenged with this problem due to rapid population growth, urbanizations, industrialization and economic development.

The key challenge for the future food and environmental security is growing more food with less water.

This demands increased efforts in efficient, productive and intelligent use of water.

“Enhancing water productivity is an appropriate response to growing water crisis in rainfed areas”

------------Paddy------------

Water productivity for different cropping systems

Annual returns (`/ha)Paddy 4,166IFS 69,725

Water Conserving TechnologiesProper scheduling of canals - 40-60%

Designing check basins - 10-30%

Zero tillage - 30%

Precision leveling - 15-20%

Delayed rice planting in Punjab - 30-50%

Drip Irrigation - 40%

Ridge/furrow or raised/sunken beds - 20-25%

Gene constructs for drought tolerance - ?

Tissue cultured eucalyptus, banana, sugarcane, papaya returned 30% higher water productivity

Bridging Demand-Supply Gap Researchers, managers, implementers and policy planners are challenged

to find out ways and means of bridging the growing demand-supply gap in water and agriculture.

Fundamental ways to bridge demand-supply gap of water in agriculture are:

(a) To increase water supplies, (b) To improve water productivity ‘crop per drop’, and (c) To make economic choices(d) To reduce water withdrawals, and make crop substitutions(e) Co-management of water (multiple water use)

Environmentally benign strategies

Land leveling

Methods of irrigation

Check basin and Border strip irrigation Furrow/Surge flow irrigation Raised bed-planting system Pressurized irrigation systems

IMPROVED WATER MANAGEMENT TECHNIQUES

On Farm Water Management

Any improvement in Water Use Efficiency automatically enhances Nutrient Use Efficiency

Water Saving Technologies

Promotes: Intensification Diversification

Innovations: Shape future for Eastern IGP farmers

Laser land leveling - A Precursor technology

Increases irrigated area ~ 2%Increases crop yields ~ 20%Additional field area added ~ 3%

Raised bed planting

Rice-winter Rice-winter Maize+Potato/RiceMaize+Potato/Rice

FIRB Planting Zero Till Conventional

Water productivity and grain yield of wheat under different sowing methods

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FIRB planting (clay loam) Zero tillage (clay loam) Conventional (clay loam)

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Water productivity (kg/m3)

Grain yield (q/ha)

Water budget based crop planning

Water lifting device on dug well in Damoh.

Micro irrigation and crop

diversification, Damoh.

Convergence for Better Use of Water in Agriculture

Last Mile Coverage of Irrigation Project

Water being released from Kutni dam to feeder canal in chattarpur

district.

Farmers lifting water from feeder canal.

Farmers irrigating wheat crop from the pannchampur Minor.

A good stand of wheat crop.

Rapid Groundwater Development• Emergence of low cost pumps• Government policies on subsidizing credit and rural energy led to

phenomenal growth of groundwater development.• Great regional differences in level of GW development, with much

higher exploitation in Punjab, Andhra Pradesh, Delhi, Gujarat, UP, Tamilnadu, Haryana etc. leading to aquifer depletion– question of sustainability?

• Less development in Eastern region• A primary democratic instrument of livelihood improvement in

rural areas.

Need for reforms in stake holder aquifer management including pricing and regulatory mechanism, and feeder separation in extensively ground water use areas.

Increasing access to ground water in less GW developed areas.

Water management can be broadly looked atSupply side managementDemand side management

Demand management of water involving enhancement of water availability and productivity through adoption of improved management practices at a community/group level would be one of the solutions for realizing the potential benefits from increased water resources.

The proposed solution should aim at

•covering more number of farmers, •reducing the cropping area under more water consuming crops•efficient scheduling through critical /protection irrigation for rainfed crops, •diversification of crops •sharing of available resource between community members,•sharing of investment for water distribution mechanism etc.

Thank you