Date:22/11/2006 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2006/11/22/stories/2006112203800400.htm

Karnataka - Bangalore

`Adopt Madagascar method of farming speedily'

Ravi Sharma

Panel comes up with several suggestions to ensure `economisation' of water

Bangalore: The "Sub-Committee on Irrigation Water Supply Augmentation and Demand Management", set up by the departments of Agriculture and Horticulture, has suggested that if there is to be an economisation in the use of water for agricultural purposes, a halt to the increased salinity of farmlands and a consistent supply of irrigation water to a project's tail-end farmers, then there has to be a speedy adoption of the technologically proven "Madagascar Method" of paddy and sugarcane cultivation that will result in a 30 per cent to 40 per cent saving of water and a 50 per cent to 60 per cent increase in yields.

The sub-committee, which functioned under the chairmanship of S. Raja Rao, a former irrigation secretary, also had among its members the directors of the departments of agriculture, horticulture and mines and geology, the vice-chancellors of the agriculture universities, and representatives from NABARD, the Central Ground Water Board and the Water Resources Ministry.

Given the State's falling agricultural yields and other agricultural problems, the need for such a committee, whose primary task is to suggest steps to stem the unnecessary, unscientific and inefficient use of irrigation water, suggest better cropping patterns, and help augment irrigation water has been a crying necessity.

A member of the committee said: "The State Government with help from the Union Government has to come up with a detailed project for the conjunctive use of water to tap groundwater and mix it up with surface water. This will decrease salinity and water logging and cause yields to go up."

The sub-committee has recommended that there has to be a better linking, lining, management and redesigning of canal distribution systems, many of which are old; proper supervision of wells and storage tanks, and a more efficient operation and maintenance system.

While experts estimate that that the operation and maintenance costs for lift and surface irrigation is Rs. 750 and 400 per hectare of land respectively, the Government only provides Rs. 250 per hectare of land irrespective of the kind of irrigation.

The committee has also suggested that rainwater harvesting be encouraged, silt be removed from tanks (which result in poor groundwater recharge and lower storage levels), night irrigation be practiced and that the Government evolve policies for minor and major lift irrigation schemes and to combat drought.

On the increasing trend at cropping pattern violations and the tendency to grow wet crops in semi dry areas, the committee has faulted the Government for encouraging this by sanctioning sugarcane factories in command areas where not even an acre of sugarcane has been planned.

The sub-committee is optimistic that the State can attain its goal of reaching an irrigation efficiency of 72 per cent (up from 60 per cent) in the case of ground water irrigation and 50 per cent (up from 35 per cent) in the case of surface irrigation by year 2025, and 75 per cent and 60 per cent respectively by 2050.