combining innovative indigenous knowledge and frontier techniques of blue and green water management

Session: Research and Innovation for Increasing Water Use Efficiency

Combining Innovative indigenous knowledge and frontier techniques of blue and green water

management for improved water use efficiency in the north-eastern region of India

U. C. SHARMA

Former National Coordinator, National Agricultural Technology Project (ICAR)

Vice President, International Commission on Water Quality (IAHS)(2003-2011)

Constraints in the NE RegionShifting cultivationLand tenure systemSmall land holdingsHigh rainfallConducive climate for pests and diseasesInhospitable terrain/ inaccessibilityLack of communicationLack of marketing facilitiesLack of finance

ZABO SYSTEM

Forest area

Desiltation tank I Desiltation tank II

Main pondAnimal enclosure

Rice fields

Typical size and shape of paddy-cum-fish culture plots in Apatani plateau

A view of the rice fields in the valley

Bamboo Drip Irrigation

New Farming SystemsLand use Slope

(%)Crops Soil and water

conservation measures

Grasses and fodders

32.0 Maize, rice-bean, oats, peas, guinea grass, tapioca, broom-grass

Contour bunds, trenches, grassed water-ways

Forestry 38.0 Alder nepalensis, Albziia lebbeck, Acacia auriculiformis

None

Agro-forestry 32.2 Ficus hookerii, Eucalyptus, pine apple, guava, beans, pulse crops

Contour bunds

Agriculture 32.4 Beans, radish, maize, paddy, ginger, turmeric, upland rice, oats, groundnut, grasses on risers

Bench terraces, contourBunds, grassed water-ways

Agri-horti-silvi-pastoral

41.8 Ginger, Alder nepalensis, Ficushookeri, grasses, guava, citrus, lemon, agricultural crops

Contour bunds, bench terraces, half-moon terraces, grassed water-ways

Horticulture 53.2 Pear, peach, guava, citrus, lemon, vegetable crops

As above

Shifting cultivation

45.0 Mixture of crops None

Effect of land use and rainfall on the sediment yield(t km-2)

Land useAnnual rainfall (mm)

2195 2705 2770 2599 2388 1992 Mean

Fodders/grasses 14.2 16.3 28.8 18.6 10.6 9.0 16.2

Forestry (trees) 60.1 115.4 141.1 131.7 69.9 65.3 97.2

Agro-forestryAgriculture

35.4 3.9

70.2 9.8

75.624.3

74.3 22.7

37.6 3.7

27.8 3.1

53.4 11.2

Agri-horti-silvi-pastoralHorticulture

20.1 65.0

37.4101.4

36.0124.8

36.5 80.2

18.2 70.5

11.6 51.7

26.6 82.2

Shifting cultivation 2950.0 4580.0 4499.7 3610.0 3419.1 2669.4 3621.3Mean 447.2 704.2 704.3 567.7 518.5 405.4

C.D. (p=0.05) Land use = 77.6; Precipitation = 66.2; Land use x Precipitation = 162.5

Conclusions

• Though NE region has plenty of water resources, their misuse and mismanagement has resulted in resource degradation.

• Harvesting of run-off and more in-situ retention of rain water is necessary

• Replacement of shifting cultivation with alternate land use systems

• Small, cost effective, irrigation projects under the prevailing topographical situations.

THANK YOU