Sustainable Agriculture and Water Management – UPSC Economy Notes

Sustainable agriculture and water management are pivotal components in ensuring the long-term viability of our planet’s ecosystems and food production systems. As the global population continues to grow and environmental pressures intensify, it becomes increasingly imperative to adopt practices that conserve natural resources, promote biodiversity, and mitigate the impacts of climate change. Sustainable agriculture emphasizes the use of techniques that minimize adverse effects on the environment while maintaining productivity and economic viability for farmers. Water management, on the other hand, focuses on the responsible utilization and conservation of water resources to meet present needs without compromising the ability of future generations to do the same. Together, these approaches seek to address the interconnected challenges of food security, environmental degradation, and water scarcity, ultimately striving for a harmonious balance between human activities and the natural world.

Sustainable Agriculture and Water Management

1. Resource Disparities:
   • India, with 16% of the global population, only possesses 2.4% of the world’s land and 4% of its water resources, emphasizing the need for sustainable development.
2. Groundwater Depletion Causes:
   • Poor water harvesting practices.
   • Excessive runoff.
   • Over-exploitation for commercial agriculture, leading to rapid depletion of groundwater resources.
3. Water as a Critical Input:
   • Effective crisis resolution involves:
     • Optimizing existing irrigation potential through multi-cropping and micro-irrigation.
     • Expanding cost-effective irrigation where possible.
     • Improving water management in rainfed areas without assured irrigation.
4. Challenges in Water Use:
   • Expansion of irrigation facilities is necessary.
   • Emphasis on equitable, efficient, and sustainable water use.
   • Tail-enders often denied water due to upper-end users appropriating it for water-intensive crops and wasteful practices.
5. Participatory Irrigation Management (PIM):
   • Implemented by Water User Associations (WUA) authorized to:
     • Set, collect, and use water cess.
     • Maintain field channels.
     • Expand irrigated areas.
     • Equitably distribute water, ensuring fair shares for tail-enders.
   • Successful experiences in Andhra Pradesh and Gujarat validate the effectiveness of PIM.
6. Water Augmentation Strategies:
   • Watershed management.
   • Rainwater harvesting.
   • Groundwater recharge.
   • Micro-irrigation as a crucial tool for enhancing water usage efficiency.
7. Warabandi System:
   • Definition: Fixing turns for irrigation water use for each farmer.
   • Objective: Ensure judicious and equitable water usage, making it available to all farmers.

Command Area Development (CAD)

1. Significance of Irrigation:
   • Adequate, timely, and assured irrigation is crucial for agricultural productivity.
2. Optimal Utilization:
   • It’s not just about having irrigation facilities but using them optimally.
   • Command area development (CAD) is essential for this purpose.
3. Definition of Command Area:
   • The command area is the land served by an irrigation source.
4. Objectives of CAD:
   • CAD aims to improve the utilization of created irrigation potential.
   • It focuses on optimizing agricultural production and productivity in irrigated areas.
5. Strategies for Improvement:
   • Encourages practices such as multiple cropping.
   • Promotes the use of High Yielding Varieties (HYVs).
   • Emphasizes the importance of enhancing literacy among farmers.
6. Impact of CAD:
   • CAD has resulted in positive outcomes:
     • Increase in irrigated area.
     • Improved productivity and production.
     • Enhanced irrigation efficiency.
     • Promoted equity and sustainability.
7. Challenges in CAD:
   • Water logging has emerged as a challenge in many irrigated commands.
   • Alkalinity and salinity of soil due to water logging have become issues.
8. Government Response:
   • The CAD program addresses water logging issues through extension services.
   • The focus is on mitigating problems and ensuring the sustainable development of irrigated areas.

Understanding Drought in India: Types, Impacts, and Remedies

Drought Definition and Classification:

Drought is an extended period characterized by unusually dry weather. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) defines drought based on rainfall percentages compared to the Long Period Average (LPA). The classifications include:

• Near normal: 96-104% of LPA
• Below normal: 90-96% of LPA
• Above normal: 104-110% of LPA
• Excess: Above 110% of LPA
• Deficient: Below 90% of LPA

Types of Droughts:

1. Meteorological Drought:
   • Occurs when actual rainfall in an area is significantly below the area’s average, despite an overall normal monsoon.
2. Hydrological Drought:
   • Involves marked depletion of surface water, leading to low stream flow and the drying of lakes, rivers, and reservoirs.
3. Agricultural Drought:
   • Results from inadequate soil moisture, causing acute crop stress and a decline in agricultural productivity.

Impact and Severity:

• Economic Impact: Droughts can adversely affect the rural and national economy as water scarcity impacts cattle, human beings, and crops.
• Frequency and Scale: With diverse agro-climatic zones, drought occurs annually in various parts of India, affecting approximately 50 million people. Severity is classified based on the affected area.
• Symptoms: Delayed monsoon onset, prolonged breaks, reduced rainfall in July, falling water reservoir levels, dwindling water supply, and slower crop sowing are indicative of drought. Severe drought is marked by an absence of rain during the sowing period, mid-season monsoon withdrawal, and a dry spell exceeding a month.

Government Response:

• Early Signs: State governments are responsible for detecting early signs and managing droughts. Government interventions include advisories to farmers, promoting less water-intensive crops, increasing fodder supply, and involving the National Crisis Management Committee (NCMC).
• Steps Taken: In response to severe droughts, the government takes measures such as importing food grains, rescheduling loans, waiving insurance premiums, transporting water and fodder by rail, enhancing food allocations to poor families, creating employment opportunities, and utilizing the Essential Commodities Act to prevent hoarding.

Impact and Remedies:

• Impact on Society: Drought leads to migration of landless laborers and marginal farmers to cities, financial struggles for families with loans, health issues, disrupted education for children, increased fodder prices causing animal deaths, migration stress, and food inflation in cities.
• Remedies:
  • Sustainable water management
  • Drought-resistant agriculture
  • Income diversification
  • Sprinkler irrigation
  • Shift to dairy and other animal husbandry activities

Addressing the challenges posed by drought requires a multifaceted approach, including sustainable water practices, resilient agricultural methods, economic diversification, and strategic interventions to mitigate the social and economic impacts on affected communities.

Empowering Rainfed Agriculture in India: Challenges and Opportunities

Understanding Rainfed Agriculture:

Rainfed regions, characterized by their exclusive dependence on rainfall for crop production, are crucial components of India’s agricultural landscape. The Union Ministry of Agriculture designates areas receiving less than 750 mm annual rainfall and with less than 30% land under irrigation as drylands. These regions cover 177 districts across all agro-climatic zones, representing 68% of the country’s total net sown area.

Role in India’s Economy:

Rainfed agriculture significantly contributes to India’s economy and livelihoods:

• Crop Distribution: Rainfed crops occupy 48% of the total area under food crops and 68% under non-food crops.
• Rural Workforce: Approximately 50% of the rural workforce and 60% of the country’s livestock are concentrated in these dry districts.

Importance for Future Agricultural Growth:

As opportunities for growth in irrigated regions diminish, the future of India’s agricultural productivity hinges on optimizing resources and productivity in rainfed areas.

Necessary Steps for Development:

1. Soil Reclamation in Acidic Lands:
   • Agricultural lands in states like Orissa, West Bengal, Bihar, and Chhattisgarh suffer from sulfur and phosphorous deficiencies, leading to soil acidity. Interventions by agriculture scientists are crucial for soil reclamation.
2. Promotion of Appropriate Cropping Patterns and Livestock Development:
   • Implementing suitable cropping patterns and fostering livestock development is essential for sustainable agriculture in rainfed regions.
3. Development of Suitable Varieties and Lab-to-Land Transfer:
   • Research and development efforts should focus on creating crop varieties suited to rainfed conditions, with effective lab-to-land transfer mechanisms.
4. Watershed Programmes and Micro Irrigation:
   • Implementing region-specific watershed programs and micro-irrigation techniques are necessary to enhance water management in rainfed areas.
5. Diversification Beyond Crop Production:
   • Expanding the agricultural policy to include agro-processing and horticulture is vital. Large farming communities in rainfed areas cannot be sustained solely through crop production and rainwater management.

Conclusion:

The development and optimization of rainfed agriculture are crucial for India’s future food security and overall agricultural productivity. Addressing soil deficiencies, promoting suitable cropping patterns, and embracing diversified approaches beyond traditional crop production are imperative steps in unlocking the full potential of rainfed regions. By integrating these measures, India can harness the opportunities offered by rainfed agriculture and ensure sustainable growth in the agricultural sector.

Micro Irrigation Fund (MIF)

Micro-irrigation, characterized by the slow and precise application of water through drips, tiny streams, or miniature sprays, has emerged as a crucial strategy for water-efficient farming. This localized irrigation approach is instrumental in addressing the water crisis, particularly in a country like India where 80% of freshwater is consumed by the agriculture sector.

1. Micro Irrigation Techniques:
   • Micro-irrigation involves the controlled application of water using systems such as surface drip, subsurface drip, and micro-sprinklers.
   • It operates at low pressure and ensures targeted water delivery to crops.
2. Water Crisis Mitigation:
   • Given the significant water consumption by agriculture, micro-irrigation is promoted as a key solution to tackle water scarcity.
   • Drip and sprinkler irrigation methods optimize water usage, delivering precise amounts compared to conventional gravity flow irrigation.
3. Policy Priority and Initiatives:
   • Recurring droughts in recent years, particularly in 2012, 2015, and 2016, have elevated the importance of micro-irrigation as a policy priority.
   • The Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchai Yojana (PMKSY), or Prime Minister’s Agriculture Irrigation Programme, emphasizes the goal of ‘Per Drop More Crop.’
4. Micro Irrigation Fund (MIF):
   • In 2018, the government approved a dedicated fund of ₹5,000 crores to expand the coverage of micro-irrigation.
   • The fund is established under the National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD), which provides the amount to states at concessional interest rates.
5. Objective and Coverage:
   • The primary objective is to bring more agricultural land under micro-irrigation, aligning with the broader goal of boosting agricultural production and farmers’ income.
   • Despite a potential coverage of 70 million hectares, micro-irrigation currently encompasses only 10 million hectares.
6. Financing and Repayment:
   • NABARD provides funds to states with a repayment period of seven years, including a grace period of two years.
   • The lending rate under MIF is proposed to be 3% lower than the cost of raising funds by NABARD.

Micro Irrigation Fund (MIF) thus serves as a crucial financial instrument, enabling states to adopt and promote micro-irrigation practices. By supporting water-saving technologies and enhancing crop yields, MIF contributes to the sustainability and prosperity of Indian agriculture.

Long Term Irrigation Fund (LTIF): Boosting Agricultural Infrastructure

In a significant move to enhance agricultural infrastructure and expedite the completion of major and medium irrigation projects, the Union Budget 2016-17 introduced the creation of the Long Term Irrigation Fund (LTIF). Administered by the National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD), this dedicated fund commenced with an initial corpus of ₹20,000 crores. The primary goal of LTIF is to provide funding support and accelerate the implementation of incomplete irrigation projects, with a focus on major and medium-scale initiatives.

Key Features of LTIF:

1. Budget Allocation: The LTIF was initiated with an initial allocation of ₹20,000 crores to address the resource gap hindering the completion of crucial irrigation projects.
2. Implementation Oversight: A dedicated Mission within the Ministry of Water Resources, River Development, and Ganga Rejuvenation has been established to oversee the overall implementation of the LTIF scheme.
3. Project Completion Target: The LTIF is designed to bridge the financial constraints associated with major and medium irrigation projects, aiming to facilitate their completion within the timeframe of 2016-2020.

Significance of LTIF:

• Infrastructure Support: By providing financial support, LTIF addresses the challenges associated with incomplete irrigation projects, contributing to the development of robust agricultural infrastructure.
• Timely Completion: The fund’s creation is essential for expediting the completion of major and medium irrigation initiatives, ensuring timely availability of water resources for agricultural activities.
• Enhanced Agricultural Productivity: Completed irrigation projects play a pivotal role in improving water availability for crops, ultimately boosting agricultural productivity and supporting farmers.

FAQs

1. What is sustainable agriculture?

Sustainable agriculture refers to farming practices that aim to meet current agricultural needs while ensuring the long-term viability of natural resources, such as soil, water, and biodiversity. It involves techniques that minimize environmental impact, conserve resources, and promote economic viability for farmers.

2. How does sustainable agriculture contribute to water management?

Sustainable agriculture emphasizes water conservation and efficient use of water resources. Practices such as drip irrigation, rainwater harvesting, and soil conservation methods help reduce water wastage and promote water efficiency in farming. By prioritizing soil health and reducing erosion, sustainable agriculture also helps maintain water quality in rivers, lakes, and groundwater.

3. What are the benefits of integrating sustainable agriculture and water management?

Integrating sustainable agriculture and water management practices offers numerous benefits, including increased crop resilience to drought and flood conditions, improved soil health, reduced water pollution from agricultural runoff, and enhanced biodiversity. Additionally, these practices can lead to higher yields over the long term while reducing reliance on chemical inputs.

4. What challenges do farmers face in adopting sustainable agriculture and water management practices?

Farmers may encounter challenges such as initial investment costs for implementing new technologies and infrastructure, limited access to information and training on sustainable practices, and potential market barriers for sustainably produced goods. Additionally, adapting to new methods may require changes in traditional farming practices and may involve perceived risks.

5. How can policymakers support sustainable agriculture and water management initiatives?

Policymakers can support sustainable agriculture and water management by implementing incentives such as subsidies and tax credits for adopting sustainable practices, investing in research and development of innovative technologies, providing education and extension services to farmers, and establishing regulations that promote conservation and environmental stewardship. Collaboration between government agencies, NGOs, researchers, and farmers is essential for creating effective policies and programs.

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