Water and Irrigation (Agricultural Inputs)

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Last Update: Jan 2025 (Water and Irrigation (Agricultural Inputs))

Water and Irrigation (Agricultural Inputs)

This article deals with ‘Water and Irrigation (Agricultural Inputs).’ This is part of our series on ‘Economics’ which is an important pillar of the GS-3 syllabus. For more articles, you can click here.

Introduction

  • Water is a critical input for successful agriculture. This water can be provided naturally through rainfall or artificially through human efforts. 
  • Irrigation is the process of supplying water to the crops by artificial means such as canals, wells, tubewells, tanks, etc., from freshwater sources such as rivers, tanks, ponds, or underground reserves.

India and Irrigation

  • India has 18% of the world population but just 4% of freshwater resources. Hence, freshwater is a scarce resource in India. 
  • 40% of India’s total area under agriculture has irrigation facilities & the rest 60% is rainfed.
Water and Irrigation (Agricultural Inputs)
  • There are regional disparities in irrigation facilities. While Punjab, Tamil Nadu and UP have more than 50% of agricultural land under irrigation, other states like Maharashtra and Rajasthan have less than 50%.
  • Due to lower levels of irrigation,
    1. Indian agriculture is vulnerable to the vagaries of nature. E.g., due to El-Nino induced drought conditions in 2014, the agriculture growth rate dipped to -0.2%. 
    2. Farmers can’t grow multiple crops reducing the overall productivity of farms and farmers. 

Schemes: Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchai Yojana (PMKSY)

  • The Ministry of Agriculture launched it in 2015.
  • It is a core scheme in which the Union give some funds, and the rest of the funds are to be provided by states. 
  • It aims to bring 2.85 million hectares of agricultural land under irrigation.

3 objectives to be achieved under PMKSY

Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchai Yojana

Objective 1: Har Khet ko Paani

  • Increase Irrigated Area so that every farm gets an irrigation facility.
  • It is to be achieved through Accelerated Irrigation Benefit Program (AIBP). 

Objective 2: Per Drop More Crop

  • Improve the efficiency of water usage by promoting Micro-Irrigation.
  • E.g., Drip Irrigation, Sprinkler Irrigation etc.

Objective 3: Watershed Management

It includes

  • Setting up Water Harvesting Structures like check dams, tanks etc.
  • Conserve Soil Moisture
  • Ground Water Recharge
  • Municipal Water Treatment and re-use

Suggestions to improve irrigation

  • River inter-linking project must be completed to transfer water from water surplus basins to water-deficit basins.
  • Electricity subsidies for tubewells should be eliminated as they encourage wastage of water.
  • Pulse cultivation should be encouraged in drought-prone areas.
  • There should be cost-based water pricing, and canal water theft should be dealt with strictly.
  • Rainwater Harvesting should be encouraged to capture and store rainwater.
  • Watershed Management should be promoted for recharge of surface and groundwater.

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