The Hindu : Task Force on micro irrigation to submit report in two months

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Friday, Aug 22, 2003

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Task Force on micro irrigation to submit report in two months

By Our Special Correspondent

NEW DELHI AUG. 21 . The Task Force on Micro Irrigation headed by the Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister, N. Chandrababu Naidu, today decided to work on a report that would be "viable, implementable and practical'' and promised to prepare it at the earliest.

Setting a two-month deadline to prepare the report, Mr. Naidu said since the problem of water would accentuate in the future, drip and sprinkle irrigation along with better water management, besides augmentation through inter-linking of river waters was the only way out.

"Micro irrigation is cost effective. It would not only reduce the cost of agriculture production but also provide higher returns," Mr. Naidu said, addressing a press conference after chairing the first meeting of the Task Force.

So far, about five lakh hectares had been covered under micro irrigation in the country, but there was scope to expand. The Task Force had drawn up a phased programme to expand coverage by another 21 lakh hectares over the next five years.

He said the issues of concern for the Task Force were to bring down the cost of having a micro irrigation system through reforms in the tax structure, besides providing incentives to the farmers to adopt the technology even for closely spaced crops consuming large quantity of water.

Mr. Naidu said irrigation of lands through conventional methods had a low record of usage and even this did not cater to upland/backward areas.

The drip/sprinkler irrigation would save between 40 per cent and 60 per cent in terms of water usage and an increase of yield between 60 per cent and 100 per cent, he said.

Referring to the technology, he said the U.S. led in its usage with a coverage of nearly 10 lakh hectares, followed by Spain with 6 lakh hectares. China, which at present had over two lakh hectares, planned to expand it in a "big way".

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