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Water is the most critical ingredient for sustaining life. A global scarcity of this vital resource and extreme climate change could result in increased skirmishes world over. In fact, experts attribute water scarcity as one of the reasons behind some of the conflicts presently being witnessed in the world such as the rise of Boko Haram (the violent Islamist group in Nigeria) and clashes in Syria.
Closer home, situation is not that encouraging either. Per capita availability of water in India has decreased from 6,042 cubic meter in 1947 to 1,545 cubic meter in 2011, and by 2025, it is expected to reduce further to 1,340 cubic meter. While India’s population has trebled since independence, its water resources have reduce over this period. From a water surplus country we are now water-stress and very soon (by 2015) we will become water-scarce country.
Disputes over water distribution between states in India have become common phenomenon. While experts believe that water resources in southern states have been more fully used, the situation in the north is also getting worst. For example, in Punjab, which faces serious water shortages, groundwater table is falling dramatically particularly in the central and northern regions of the state.
For urban dwellers it may not matter much (as long as they get water in their taps), but for people living in rural areas, which are dependent on rainwater, it’s about survival. In India, agriculture sector is the biggest user of water followed by domestic sector and industrial sector. The situation is reverse in the developed countries where industries consume more water than agriculture, because with industrial revolution remuneration from agriculture became less worthy compared to factory work. But can India, with world’s second largest population, afford to model its growth on developed countries’ formulae? Probable not as it will have to focus on agriculture to fed its growing population. But the question is how do you intend to do it?
Farmers in India have been following unsustainable cropping pattern by focusing on water-guzzling crops such as sugar, etc. One of the reasons for this has been government policies which encourage farmers to grow certain crops. To change this, the government should educate farmers about new farming patterns which focuses on crops that need less water for irrigation.
Like Prime Minister Narendra Modi, June last year, suggested the ‘per drop, more crop’ mantra to promote farming through optimum utilisation of water, policymakers should make farmers aware of new research, modern farm practices and water conservation methods. India can achieve this objective by producing more from less water by efficiently using utilisable water resources in irrigated areas, and using a part of grey water for agricultural production in a sustainable manner.
Increased cropping intensity can be a key strategy for enhancing farm productivity in India. In addition, for efficient usage of irrigation water, farmers need to apply water for growing crops at appropriate times and in adequate amounts.
While emphasis should be on increasing farm productivity, India also needs to promote watershed development – which involves levelling land and tapping rainwater in small ponds created by building small dams in the streams (called check dams). Through this sustainable method one can increase soil moisture, recharge groundwater, and plant a second crop. We have success story for this method in India. Some experts believe that Gujarat’s 8 percent plus growth rate of agricultural GDP was possible because NGOs, community groups, and other civil society organisations, with the help of the state government, were able to build over 100,000 check dams in the state.
Agriculture will face a complex challenge of satisfying the food demands of the growing population. With growing urbanisation and industrialisation, agriculture will have to compete with non-agricultural sectors for using limited resources of water. Hence, for sustaining life on the planet, Indian farmers will have to find sustainable ways to optimally use water to grow more farm produce in future.
