To tackle the drought situations, the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) has suggested developing dry-land cultivation, popularising water-saving irrigation techniques and 50 per cent subsidy for seeds of short duration crops.
Among the short-term measures, it has suggested cultivation of short-duration paddy and irrigated dry crops in focus areas. It has suggested constitution of a taskforce at the state-level to monitor drought relief programmes. Asking for a ban on export of fodder, it has urged opening of goshalas and launching of employment affirmation programmes among others.
CII has also suggested steps for economising water consumption like suspending water supplies of various regions for a specific timeframe on a rotational basis. Among the long-term measures, it has suggested location of new water sources, building water supply projects and investing in water supply expansion programmes to reduce the risk of future water shortages.
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CII says hydropower is expected to decline by 30 per cent this year because of a weak monsoon. This may lead to worsening of the power situation because the farm sector demand for power is likely to rise in the drought-hit states like Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, Punjab, Madhya Pradesh, Orissa, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and parts of Kerala.
To bridge the huge demand-supply gap, the state governments should encourage captive power generation, it said. CII has also advocated maintaining strict grid discipline.