FIGHTING AGAINST THE MONSOON-BY IRRIGATION WAY

Water, as an input to agriculture, is critical for sustaining the food security. India
faces the daunting task of increasing its food grain production by over 50 per
cent in the next two decades. Increasing competition for water in agriculture,
industry, domestic and environment uses is already manifested in inter- and
intra-sector, basin, state, district and village level conflicts.

These will escalate further as India's annual per capita water availability goes
below water scarce threshold level of 1700 cubic meter within the next two
decades. In six of the country's 20 major river basins (with less than 1000 cubic
meter of annual per capita availability), water resources are under stress and
depleting. By the year 2025, five more basins will become water scarce and by
2050, only three basins in India will remain water sufficient. Supply expansion,
to meet expanding needs, is constrained by availability and rising economic and
environmental costs associated with its development and use. The status of
irrigation infrastructure and prospects for its sustainability, both physical and
financial, for future water-food security is the issue under focus.

Irrigation Infrastructure

Existing status

Irrigation has traditionally helped Indian agriculture to grow. But, the last decade
witnessed a slowing down of increase in irrigation potential resulting in a
slowdown of agriculture growth to a mere 2.6 per cent in 2006-07. Till March
2007, the anticipated irrigation potential created was of about 102.77 million
hectares but the utilisation was only for 87.23 million hectares. This meant that
still over 30 per cent of India’s agriculture land is dependent on rainwater for
crop survival. Himanshu Thakkar of South Asia Network of Dams, Rivers and
People, says the government’s irrigation policy has failed with growth rate of
irrigated land falling from 4.23 per cent in 1970s to less than 1.5 per cent in the
first decade of this century despite spending about one lakh crore for the sector
in the 10th plan.

Since 1950, India has made direct public investment of Rs 88100 crore in
providing major, medium and minor irrigation infrastructure with an irrigation
potential of 91 MHa. India Water Vision, 2025 estimated the gross water demand
for multiple uses to double in 25 years from now with corresponding investment
needs of Rs 20000 crore per year. As of now, India's irrigation infrastructure is
expanding by 1.8 Mha of irrigation potential with a public outlay of Rs 7000 crore
per annum. Current annual expansion is one-third less than the maximum
growth achieved in the past. Deceleration in irrigation potential created through
major and medium schemes started during 1980s as a consequence of declining
real government expenditure on this sector.

Amidst competition from non-agricultural uses in households, industry and

environment, supply of irrigation will have to keep pace with the targeted annual
agricultural growth rate of over 4% in the Tenth Five Year Plan. To achieve this
growth rate, irrigation sector should grow by at least 5% per annum, given 1%
growth in rainfed sector, Demand-supply management in water sector and
efficiency in its every use is critical for providing sustainable water-food security
to the country.

More importantly, existing and expanding irrigation infrastructure has to be

physically and financially sustained for improving their efficiency. Yet concerns
are emerging on the physical condition of the irrigation infrastructure created so
far.

Vicious cycle

India's irrigation sector is caught in a vicious cycle. Inadequate funding for O&M
over years has resulted in the neglect of maintenance and upkeep of the
irrigation system leading to deterioration in the quality of irrigation service.
Physically, the irrigation and drainage system is not able to receive and deliver
the planned quantity of water matching with the demand pattern. Poor irrigation
service, often not matching with the crop water requirements over space and
time, results in low productivity of crops and income to the irrigators. Resultant
dissatisfaction coupled with weak institutional linkage leads to under
assessment of demand for water rates as well as low recovery of whatever is
assessed. Progressive fall in the cost recovery increases revenue deficit causing
adverse impact on O&M funding for maintenance works.

Deferred maintenance of surface

irrigation infrastructure over years
has led to further deterioration of its
physical service. This is witnessed by
stagnating or falling irrigation
coverage affecting agricultural
growth in several regions. Surely,
with future expansion in food
production growth critically
depending on the performance of
irrigation sector, what is happening
to the physical status of existing and
expanding irrigation infrastructure
does not augur well for India's future
food security and agriculture
Vicious cycle of India's irrigation performance.
sector

Targets

Under the Irrigation Component of Bharat Nirman, the target of creation of

additional irrigation potential of 1 crore hectare in 4 years (2005-06 to 2008-09)
is planned to be met largely through expeditious completion of identified
ongoing major and medium irrigation projects. Irrigation potential of 42 lakh
hectare is planned to be created by expeditiously completing such ongoing
major and medium projects.

There is a definite gap between irrigation potential created and the potential
utilized. Under Bharat Nirman it is planned to restore and utilize irrigation
potential of 10 lakh hectare through implementation of extension, renovation
and modernization of schemes alongwith command area development and
water management practices. There are considerable areas in the country with
unutilized ground water resources. Irrigation potential of 28 lakh hectare is
planned to be created through ground water development. The remaining target
for creation of irrigation potential of 10 lakh hectare is planned to be created by
way of minor irrigation schemes using surface flow. 10 lakh hectare of irrigation
potential is also planned by way of repair, renovation and restoration of water
bodies and extension, renovation and modernization of minor irrigation
schemes. But the targets met at the Oct 2008 last year are very discouraging,
which puts down the figure to 29.783 thousand ha only.

Assistance provided under AIBP

A Central loan assistance of Rs 36,417 crore under the Accelerated Irrigation

Benefit Programme (AIBP) has been provided for 267 major and medium
irrigation projects and 9,874 minor irrigation schemes since the introduction of
the programme in 1996. According to the latest figures in April this year, the
country had created an additional potential of 4,932 million hectares of land
through major and medium irrigation projects and a potential of 271 million
hectares through surface minor irrigation schemes upto March 2008. The
provision for the AIBP in the 2009-10 was Rs 8,700 crore with Rs 7,000 crore
allocation coming from the Planning Commission.

The total grants released for various AIBP schemes for 2008-09 was Rs 7,598
crore. The AIBP was launched in 1996-97 for providing loan assistance to the
states for completing unfinished major and medium irrigation projects who were
in advanced stage of completion and create additional irrigation potential in the
country. Those who had received benefits included many north-eastern states,
hilly states of Sikkim, Uttaranchal and Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh
and the infamous drought districts of Orrisa -- Koraput-Bolangir and Kalahandi
(KBK). The AIBP has now changed its guidelines to benefit drought prone tribal
areas of Maharashtra, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Kerala and projects in the
states where irrigation was below national average could be included with the
Government funding 38 of the 65 major and medium irrigation projects in the
relief package for agrarian distressed districts of these states.

Budget and its implications

Irrigation is sine qua non for agricultural growth but the Central Budget’s total
provision for development of water resources is Rs 1003 crores only. About 40
million hectares of land is unutilised in the country precisely because there is no
proper conservation and management of the rain water. Total allocation for what
is known as National Programme for Comprehensive Land Resources
Management is Rs 360 crores only in the current year’s budget. If rain water
could be harvested large part of such land can be put to some productive use.
Watershed development holds the key to development of such areas which is
equally labour intensive. It may be noted that most of the so-called drought
prone area in the country has higher rainfall than Punjab or Haryana which are
the granaries of India. It is the inability to harness rainwater that explains low
productivity in rainfed areas. But the budgetary outlay in the current year for
watershed development is a measly Rs 1773 crores only. The Budget papers
mention that it will cost about Rs 12,000 to develop one hectare.

It has now been decided to include watershed development programme under

National Rural Employment Guarantee Programme and allocation for the same
has been raised from Rs 16,000 crores in 2008-09 to Rs 30,100 crores in 2009-
10. This is welcome but given the enormity of the problem of conservation,
regeneration and augmentation of natural resources and of providing
employment to roughly 80 lakh persons who are being added to the rural labour
force every year investment on such activities will have to be raised manifold if
in has to make any impact on the situation.

Conclusion

The recent failure of monsoon has an alarming effect on our food grain
production thereby on Indian economy. So creation of extra water potential is of
utmost importance. Not only creation but the judicious use of existing facilities is
also very important.

By
Parag Rastogi
PGPABM 2008-10
MANAGE