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A new ₹4,500-cr water scheme for farms teases a bonus: year-round water for homes
Summary
- The scheme is expected to be announced at the 5-day India Water Week event that began in New Delhi on Tuesday.
NEW DELHI : The Union government plans to roll out a ₹4,500-crore scheme to ensure water security for farmers, two officials said, amid increasing water stress due to inconsistent rainfall that’s affecting agricultural output.
The scheme is expected to be announced at the 8th Water Week being held in New Delhi from 17-21 September, and will be for an initial period of two years, the officials said.
The plan, which must be approved by the Union Cabinet, is aimed at not only strengthening India’s agricultural economy but also saving 100 billion cubic metres (BCM) of water annually, which is expected to ensure year-round water supply to all households across the country.
“We have got seeds, fertilizers and manpower. Our farmers are hardworking and technology savvy. Despite this, we import pulses and there are export prohibitions on wheat and rice," one of the officials said.
“The only problem is water management. We have been putting efforts to build only dams and canals and we forgot to bring that water to farms, so there is no last mile connectivity to ensure crop productivity. We have created channels to water agricultural lands, but the problem is that water is not equally distributed for the entire field."
The new scheme will be a part of the Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojana, which was launched in 2015 to improve farm productivity with a focus on irrigation, with an estimated outlay of ₹4,500 crore for two years, the official added.
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An irrigation reform
The Union Jal Shakti (or water resources) ministry is hosting the 8th edition of India Water Week, which is held twice a year to brainstorm for solutions through partnerships and cooperation with all states. It also involves representatives from about 40 countries, the World Water Council, Asian Development Bank, and the World Bank.
Launched in July 2015 with a budget outlay of ₹5,300 crore for one year, PMKSY is an umbrella scheme comprising two major components—the Accelerated Irrigation Benefit Programme, and the Har Khet Ko Pani (HKKP), scheme, which translates to ‘water for every farm’.
HKKP, in turn, has four sub-components—Command Area Development and Water Management; Surface Minor Irrigation; Repair, Renovation and Restoration (RRR) of Water Bodies; and Ground Water Development. The new scheme will essentially be a modernization of the command area development component.
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“The whole idea is to connect water with economics—MCAD (modernization of command area development) is totally economics. This is a managerial reform," said the official quoted above.
“Under CAD, there are two components—managerial reform and technological reform. Farmers manage systems with irrigation management transfer. Farmer societies, which will be created, will be the custodians and operators of the irrigation system," the official added. “They will be given freedom, and they will get an opportunity to exercise their free will on distribution of water, and the government will support them for developing them as an economic entity through this project."
Under the new scheme, a hardware infrastructure will be created and handed over to farm societies, who will manage it. Funding for the hardware components will be split 60:40 between the Union and state governments.
“The economic impact of failing to enhance efficient water use in irrigation, which accounts for almost 80% of total water withdrawals, to reallocate water to other sectors like manufacturing and domestic sectors, which will drive water demand in the future, is almost $869 billion in 2030 and $2,520 billion in 2050," said Nitin Bassi, senior programme lead at the Council on Energy, Environment and Water, a policy research institute and think tank based in Delhi.
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Ensuring 24/7 water supply across India
“Another significant point is that if it lands up well, we will be able to ensure water supply to the entire nation 24/7 because a huge amount of water, 100 BCM, is expected to be saved given our demand for water is increasing. This is because water use in agriculture will be measured with the introduction of the scheme," the official added.
As much as 45 BCM of water is required for domestic use annually in the country, and 55 BCM for industry and energy use.
Secretaries and spokespeople of the water resources department and the agriculture ministry, the Union cabinet, and the prime minister’s office didn’t immediately reply to emailed queries.
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Moody’s Ratings last month warned that India’s growing water shortage and frequent climate change-related natural disasters could hurt the country’s sovereign credit strength.
India’s average annual per capita water availability is expected to drop to 1,367 cubic metres by 2031 from the already low 1,486 cubic metres recorded in 2021, according to the ministry of water resources. A level below 1,700 cubic metres indicates water stress, with 1,000 cubic metres being the threshold for water scarcity.
According to the World Bank, water scarcity could affect India’s economic growth by up to 6%. Any further drop in water supply in India could disrupt operations in factories and farms and result in higher food prices and a lower income for affected businesses and communities, the World Bank warned.
