India's dependency on groundwater for agriculture A scarce natural resource, water is fundamental to life, livelihood, food security and sustainable development. India is one of the most water-challenged countries in the world, with 16 per cent of the world's population and access to only 4 per cent of the world's water resources. About 90 per cent of the fresh water withdrawals go to agriculture in India, which is well above the global average of about 70 percent (Food and Agriculture Organization, 2016). A growing population and farmers' traditional use of inefficient flood irrigation have meant that groundwater levels have fallen over the years. Shortages with water for domestic use, including drinking water problems are rampant across the country. Of all the economic sectors, agriculture is the one where water scarcity has greater relevance. India is fast moving towards a crisis of ground water overuse and contamination (Kulkarni, et al., 2015). Heightened weather variability, increasing frequency of extreme weather events and other indicators of climate change only exacerbate this crisis. Longer dry spells and heavier precipitation events projected for South Asia are going to increase run off and hamper ground water recharge (Singh, et al., 2014). Inefficient use of water for irrigation India uses a staggering 25 per cent of its water resources to grow rice. Of course, rice is not the only culprit. All major crops wheat, sugarcane, cotton consume large quantities of water. According to a report of the Institute of Water Education (Chapagain & Hoekstra, 2010), the water footprint (the ratio of total volume of water used to the quantity of production) of rice production in India is 2,020 m³ a year compared with 970 m³ a year in China and a global average of 1,325 m³ a year. This is an unfortunate inefficiency in the usage of a scarce and precious resource in a country with a teeming population. Observations made on the source of water withdrawal are also alarming. About a third of the water withdrawal came from groundwater. Ground water is depleting very fast and there is no faster recharge mechanism considering it is a very long drawn process. Groundwater, when exploited from greater depth cannot be recharged by rainfall and therefore can no longer be a renewable resource Agricultural output is also heavily reliant on rain-water. Food production declined in 2014-15 due to a 12 per cent dip in the monsoons. This further highlights that ensuring adequate water supply for agriculture is essential. These conditions, in addition to the looming water scarcity, make the need for a prudent and efficient use of the land and water resources paramount. Agriculture therefore needs more efficient irrigation methods. Given its higher efficiency, micro irrigation systems can go a long way in addressing the issues faced by India's agricultural sector, particularly in a climate variability context. Micro-irrigation to improve irrigation efficiencies and crop yields India has more than 140 million hectares (ha) of net cultivated area, and around 45 per cent of the area is irrigated. As of now, just about nine million ha is under micro-irrigation, of which drip irrigated area is about four million ha. The theoretical potential for micro-irrigation in the country is about 70 million hectares (Narayanamoorthy, 2006). Research shows that sprinkler irrigation can use 30-40% less water, while drip can use about 40-60% less water as compared to flood irrigation methods (Narayanamoorthy, 2006; Narayanamoorthy, 2009). Productivity gain due to use of micro-irrigation is estimated to be in the range of 40 to 50 percent for different crops (Indian National Committee on Irrigation and Drainage, 1994; Indian National Committee on Irrigation and Drainage, 1998). It also reduces weed problems, soil erosion and cost of cultivation substantially, especially in labour-intensive operations. The reduction in water consumption in micro-irrigation also reduces the energy use (electricity) that is required to lift water from irrigation wells (Narayanamoorthy, 2001). Government support to micro-irrigation The real thrust on promoting micro-irrigation (MI) adoption in India started with recommendations of the Report of the Task Force on MI in 2004. The report sought to increase emphasis on MI technology and recommended the Centrally Sponsored Scheme (CSS), which was later launched by the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare in January, 2006. In 2010, CSS on MI was scaled up to National Mission on Micro Irrigation (NMMI), which continued until 2013-14. From 2014, NMMI was subsumed under National Mission on Sustainable Agriculture (NMSA) and implemented as - On Farm Water Management (OFWM) during FY 2014-15. From 1st April 2015, the MI component of OFWM has been subsumed under Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojana (PMKSY) which is being implemented as CSS for MI in FY 2015-16 (NITI Aayog, Government of India, 2017). Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojana (PMKSY) PMKSY has included MI within the scheme as an integral component. The scheme focuses on providing an end-to-end solution to the irrigation supply chain issues. From the year 2022-23, the scheme is being implemented under the Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana (RKVY). The Government of India's manifesto talks about "Har Khet Ko Paani” and “Per Drop More Crop." While the infrastructure creation and development for irrigation projects, as mandated to be part of the Command Area Development & Water Management (CADWM) program is covered under Watershed Development activities, the implementation of bringing area under MI, is mandated to be part of the improving efficiencies in water usage component of this scheme. Government of India has created Micro Irrigation Fund (MIF) with National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) with initial corpus of Rs. 5000 Crore. Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA ) scheme can be suitably channelized for the on ground implementation of MI and irrigation networks. This linking with MGNREGA would ensure efficient utilization of funds, in addition to achieving the overall objective of the scheme. National Water Mission: National Water Mission is one of eight Missions established under Ministry of Water Resource, River Development & Ganga Rejuvenation (MoWR, RD & GR). Government of India launched the National Action Plan on Climate Change (NAPCC) which inter-alia identified the approach to be adopted to meet the challenges of impact of climate change through eight Missions including National Water Mission (NWM) with the main objective of “conservation of water, minimizing wastage and ensuring its more equitable distribution both across and within states through integrated water resources development and management”. The Mission is to take into account the provisions of the National Water Policy and develop a framework to optimize water use by increasing water use efficiency by 20% (Ministry of Water Resources, 2011) The challenge of reaching small and marginal farmers In 2013, rural India had an estimated total of 9.02 crore agricultural households. Small and marginal farmers comprised about 57.8 per cent of the total estimated rural households of the country. If one considers the share of these farmers in terms of land holding, they account for almost 85% of the total landholders (National Sample Survey Office (NSSO), 2014). It is easier for large (generally resource rich) farmers to access public and private sources of irrigation like canals and tube-wells as compared to small and marginal farmers, who are mostly dependent on groundwater that is already depleted and are therefore left to rely largely on rains for growing crops. Small and marginal farmers also suffer from a lack of funds to invest in seeds, fertilisers and other inputs and lack of access to water. Guarantee of a water resource is compulsory to avail the benefits of the micro-irrigation schemes. This disparity in access to knowledge and inputs makes the 85% of small and marginal farmers vulnerable to productivity risks. Lack of agricultural growth has pushed the rural populations towards the non-farm sector, increasing non-farm rural employment by about 12 percent between 1999-2000 and 2011-2012 (Bhogal, 2016). Apart from the lack of resources mentioned above, small and marginal farmers have low risk taking ability, both for taking loans as well as trying out new methodologies, besides limited post-harvest infrastructure like storage facilities, and linkages to markets. The lack of water still remains the most critical resource in ensuring good production for the rabi crop as well as the rainfed Kharif, crop. Many issues may be solved by bringing the farmers together in groups. Together they can also address water-budgeting, equity and the judicious use of water as well as encourage them to adopt better agricultural practices. Such groups of farmers can then develop their own infrastructure, access common irrigation facilities and have better bargaining power in the markets. 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Source : Excerpts from Micro-irrigation for Small & Marginal Farmers - Arjuna Srinidhi Source Link: WOTR website