Optimal Use of Agricultural Land and Water Resources through Reconfiguring Crop Plan for different Agro-Climatic Zones of Bihar (India) (original) (raw)
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Use of Water Resources for Agricultural Development in India
Water is the source of life and development of earth. It is a regional resource and is essential for human life, development and environment, but it is a finite and vulnerable resource which has quantitative limitations and qualitative vulnerability. However shortage of water is becoming a global issue due to the increasing population, economic growth and climate change. Rapid urbanization and new found passion for consumerism along with the population influx has bought about an uncertainty with regards to India's food and water supplies and it is not a surprise that some Indian river basins are already experiencing physical water scarcity. Worldwide, agriculture accounts for 70% of all water consumption. It also face the enormous challenge of producing atmost 50% more food by 2030 and doubling production by 2030. However this has to be achieved with less water, mainly because of growing pressures from urbanization, industrialization and climatic change.
Transactions of the ASABE, 2020
HighlightsA crop suitability index was constructed for the Bundelkhand region of India.The cropping pattern in the region has shifted from cereals to oilseeds and pulses.Nearly 33% more water is needed to meet the total irrigation water requirement of the region.Pearl millet, sesame, and soybean were found to be the most suitable crops for sustainable use of water resources. ABSTRACT.The Bundelkhand region of India is characterized by acute shortages of water due to recurrent failures of the monsoon. This study estimated the water availability, water requirement, and water deficit in the Bundelkhand region using geographic information system (GIS) data. The study identified suitable crops that can be promoted for sustaining the water resources in the region. Total water availability is estimated to be 17.48 billion cubic meters (BCM), of which 91.3% is available for irrigation. The irrigation water deficit is estimated to be 5.31 BCM, which is 1/4 of the crop water requirement. Farm...
Current Science, 2022
Agriculturally, West Bengal is one of the major productive states in India. It has made significant contributions to the gross state value added through agriculture and allied sectors, and water management is the most vital component to ensure stability and sustainability in agricultural production systems. There is increasing uncertainty in availability, or site-specific excess of water due to climate change. These call for strategic management of this important natural resource to achieve one of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG No. 6) set by the United Nations, i.e. ensuring availability and sustainability in water management, and also providing sanitation to all by 2030. This eastern Indian state has six distinct agro-climatic zones (ACZs) based on its varied physiography, land, soil, weather, cropping pattern, vegetation and other characteristic features. Both water scarcity and water excess are intricately associated with the agricultural activities in the state, which demand integrated approach in the management of water resources and their efficient utilization. Here we elucidate the agricultural importance, distinctive features and constraints of six ACZs, provide an account of the water supply and demand, potential options to increase water-use efficiency, suitable technologies and zone-wise policy perspectives on water management in agriculture and allied sectors in West Bengal.
Water management in agriculture: Issues and strategies in India
2018
Water the critical resource of agriculture, has not been well managed in India, despite the country being an agricultural powerhouse. It has some 195 MH of land under cultivation of which some 62 per cent is rain-fed and 37 per cent, irrigated. Agriculture uses 85 per cent of the water resources with low efficiency. The rain-fed area is the critical area of cultivation with the largest concentration of rural poverty spanning several agro ecological regions. Water management is related to three important challenges in the agricultural front today namely raising productivity per unit of land, reducing poverty, and responding to food security needs. In the light of the new call to achieve " more crop per drop " , this paper discusses pertinent issues related to irrigation in India and the strategies and arrangements to address water scarcity for irrigation. The study finds that problems are largely institutional, structural, and administrative. Overcoming them is crucial for agricultural development in general and water management in particular.
Water resources of a country constitute one of its vital assets. India with 2.4 per cent of the world's total area has 16 per cent of the world's population; but has only 4 per cent of the total available fresh water (Planning Commission, GOI, 2008). It has the largest irrigated area in the world, accounting for 22 per cent global irrigated area. Increasing population, growing urbanization, and rapid industrialization combined with the need for raising agricultural production generates competing claims for water. India is currently facing a daunting set of water-related challenges. Urban and industrial demand for water is going up rapidly, without commensurate augmentation of supply. There is a growing perception of a sense of an impending water crises in the country. The Standing Sub Committee Report (CWC 2000) estimated that the total demand for water by all sectors would surpass the total utilizable water resources by the year 2050, posing a big challenge to the country. The water challenges for the country and particularly for its states are manifold: a) improving and safeguarding existing drinking water supplies, b) managing water demand across competing sectors, and c) determining environmental requirements and prevention of pollutions (Raju, 2010). This clearly indicates the need for water resource development, conservation, and optimum use. Irrigation constitutes the main use of water and its thus the focal issue in water resources development. About 83 per cent of the total fresh water available in the country is used for irrigation. Irrigation sector has been fundamental to India's economic development and poverty alleviation. In agriculture, irrigation water is always considered to be an engine of agricultural growth. Irrigation expansion has been one of the three input-related driving factors (the other two being seeds of modern HYVs and fertilizer) in the green Revolution process. Irrigation development increase the cropping intensity, alters the cropping pattern in favour of high value crops, encourages the adaption of technological inputs (HYV seeds, fertilisers, pesticides, etc) as well as machineries, all of which one way or the other help to augment the crop output. Besides providing direct benefits to the farming community, it also indirectly benefits the non-farming community substantially (Narayanamoorthy and Kalamkar, 2011). In this paper analyses the water resources and cropping pattern of North-Karnataka in Karnataka state. 2. KARNATAKA'S WATER SITUATION: Karnataka's water resources are fast dwindling due to population explosion and increased utilization of water for the rapidly growing economic activities. Water demand on the one hand consumptive (drinking, health and sanitation needs) and productive uses (agriculture, industrial production, power generation, mining operations and navigation, and recreational activities) has increased tremendously, and on the other hand, water supply has declined with depletion and degradation of water resources causing water distress or scarcity in the state. Depletion of quantity and degradation of quality of water has restricted the availability of water for consumptive and productive uses and has consequently caused "negative externality" which impose economic and social cost on society. The declining trend in the economic contribution of water resources has occurred due to physical and economic water scarcity which results in insufficient use, poor management, declining water productivity, and increasing environmental and economic costs. Obviously, the outcome is growing imbalance between water needs and supply
Water International, 2008
If the balance between availability and requirement drives the value, then the economic value of water in agriculture should be remarkably higher in water-scarce regions when compared to water-rich regions. Similarly, in water-abundant regions, if the land is scarce, then the incremental return per unit of land should be higher than that in land-rich region that are water-scarce. These hypotheses are tested by comparing the situation in western Punjab, which is land-rich and naturally water scarce and eastern Uttar Pradesh which is land-scarce and waterrich. The methodology used for assessing the economic value of water considered estimating the incremental value of output for a composite farming system from a unit of irrigation water used. The incremental value of farm output was estimated on the basis of the volume-based weighted average of the water productivity values (Rs./m 3 ) in various agricultural crops and milk production. The total effective volume of water used for various crops and milk production were estimated using physical productivity of water in various crops and milk production (kg/m 3 ), and the weight of outputs in the respective crops and milk.