ICAR presentation on Input Constraints and State Water Problems

1. D. K. Singh
Water Technology Centre
ICAR-Indian Agricultural Research Institute
New Delhi-110012
Input Constraints and State Water
Problems
Workshop on “ Constraints for smallholders for farm mechanization in Bihar”
organized by IFPRI-South Asia and RAU- Bihar, May 12, 2016, Patna

2. Bihar: Salient Features/Opportunities
Average Annual Rainfall (mm)
Zone I: 1245 Zone II 1450 Zone III: 1115
Northern West
Northern East
Southern East
Southern West
Good climate for agriculture
 Very good rainfall
(1000- 1700 mm)
 Level of groundwater
development: 44 %
Fertile soil
Availability of human power
 Backed by strong agriculture
research
Systematic agriculture research
started from Bihar (IARI was
established in Bihar)
Two state agricultural
universities with No. of colleges,
research stations and KVKs

3. Water problem in Bihar
Uneven spatial and temporal rainfall distribution (1000-1700 mm)
Prolonged dry spells
Several areas in Bihar face acute shortage of water during non-rainy
season despite receiving high rainfall during monsoon
Simultaneous occurrences of drought and flood
Five district experienced 6 draught in last 8 year
Fourteen district experienced 5 draught in last 8 years
Fourteen district experienced 4 draught in last 8 years
About 71% of the states mainly in the North Bihar are flood prone
About 41 % of the cropped area of 2.2 mha is flood prone
Poor on farm and off farm irrigation infrastructure
Poor overall irrigation efficiency: average 35-38%
Conveyance: 70%
On farm application: 50%

4. Inadequate and irregular canal water supply in many commands
Non availability of control structures and regulation gates
Poor maintenance of canal and distribution network
Irrigation management in India: Challenges
Breaches in canalUnlined canal full of weeds
Unlined farm channel
Unlined farm channel

5. Water problem in Bihar
Expenditure on Irrigation Sector (CWC 2013)
On creation of potential –Annual plan
2011-12
(Million Rs.): 580291 (97%)
On improving utilization infrastructure-
Annual plan 2011-12
(MillionRs.): 16057 (3%)

6. Under utilized groundwater resources (only 44%)
Even then 6 draught in last 8 year (25-33 districts out of 38 affected
by draught)
 With much lesser rainfall and groundwater, Punjab and Haryana
are able to manage draught but not the Bihar
Poor rainwater harvesting and utilization infrastructure
(Ponds disappeared)
Deprived of modern technologies for long-long time
Lack of awareness about water management technologies amongst the
farmers
Water problem in Bihar

7. Deprived of modern technologies for long-long time
Controlled irrigation through pipe network
WTC Farm Farmer’s Field Muzaffarnagar
Drip and Sprinkler Irrigation

8. Broad Bed and Furrow Raised Bed System
System of Rice Intensification
saves about 20-30%
water
saves about 20-30%
water

9. Management options for improving irrigation efficiency in
canal commands
Lining of conveyance system (canal network and on-farm
channels)
Regular maintenance of canal (desilting, cleaning of weeds, repair
of damaged sections)
Installation of water control and measurement structures
Ensuring people’s participation for equitable and efficient water
distribution

10. Achievable groundwater irrigation efficiency through improvement
in on-farm irrigation infrastructure and cultivation practices
Achievable groundwater
irrigation efficiency (%)
Management options
Rice Other crops
55 65 Leveling, proper irrigation scheduling
60 70 laser leveling, irrigation scheduling, efficient irrigation methods
65 80 SRI and aerobic rice cultivation, sprinkler irrigation in mustard
and wheat, drip irrigation in sugarcane
Prevailing irrigation efficiencies in groundwater irrigated area: rice-50 %, other crops – 60 %

11. Maximum Minimum
Overall irrigation
efficiency (%)
62
(Koil Sagar Project)
Mahbubnagar, Telangana
15
(Narayanpuram Project)
Yadgir, Karnataka
Conveyance efficiency
(%)
91
(Vamsadhara Project)
Andhra Pradesh and Odisha
50
(Srisailam Project)
Telangana and Andhra pradesh
On-farm application
efficiency (%)
80
(Matatila dam project)
Uttar Pradesh
28
(Yeluru Project)
Andhra Pradesh
Achievable irrigation efficiency in canal commands with
improvement in infrastructure

12. Monsoon dependent
Inadequate provision of surface drainage in flood prone areas
Groundwater pollution: Arsenic and Flouride
Water problem in Bihar
Source: Thakur and Gupta,2015

13. Social and economic conditions
Limiting the effective use of rain and ground water resources. Resource poor
small and marginal farmers are not able to bore wells and buy pump sets
Farmers in Punjab and Haryana can deepen their tubewell by spending
thousands of rupees but majority of the farmers in Bihar can’t even dig a
open well
Tenancy
Tenant farmers are unwilling to bore wells on land which does not belong to
them (Sugden 2013b)
Small and marginal land holdings (about 90% land holder have land
less than 1 ha (Joshi et al 2012)
 Investment in well and pump sets by individual farmers makes cultivation
unprofitable farmers are not able to afford wells and pumping technology
Constraints

14. Supply of electricity: only 52 % villages had electricity by 2008
(Joshi et al, 2012)
 In absence of electricity farmers depend on diesel for operating pumps.
Cost and availability of diesel limits the use of groundwater for irrigation
Use of precision farm machinery
Economic condition and low productivity limits the use of precision
machinery. Precision leveler and efficient methods of irrigation not in use
Lack of Awareness
Low productivity of crops
No surplus (produce/money) to take risk
Abundance surface water/ rainfall but still draught
 Poor on farm storage infrastructure (small and marginal land holding and
poor economic condition comes in the way of constructing ponds/tanks.
Community ponds disappeared/ disappearing)

15. On Farm Water Management: Management Options
1. Inadequate and irregular canal water supply in many commands
Conjunctive water use
Rainwater harvesting to supplement canal water and
groundwater
2. Provision of surface drainage in flood prone areas
3. Promoting use of groundwater through efficient irrigation system
operated by solar energy

16. 4. Adoption of efficient methods
Constraints
Undulating topography in many areas
Economic conditions of the farmers
Land consolidation (is on)
Lack of awareness
Options
Land leveling
Hydraulically designed surface irrigation methods
Application of measured volume of water required
Adoption of efficient method of irrigation: Drip/Sprinkler
Better credit facility and government support
Direct interfacing of researcher and farmers

17. 6. Irregular supply of electricity in groundwater irrigated
areas (separate supply for domestic and irrigation)
7. Rainwater utilization in arid and semi arid rain fed
areas
 Assessment of rainwater harvesting potential
 Hydrologic zoning w.r.t. rainfall and harvestable runoff
 Realistic planning for rainwater harvesting for groundwater
recharge particularly in arid region (we should not be too
ambitious)
 in India, the major portion of the annual rainfall is received
in 100 hours of heavy downpour, providing very little time
for the natural recharging of the aquifer (Keller et al., 2000)
 Development of alternate cropping schedule based on the
dry and wet spell analysis

18. Had IARI remained in Bihar: would Bihar have been land of
Green Revolution?
Is it true that the states in the vicinity of Delhi were
benefitted most in post independence period?
Is it true that green revolution witnessed by the states in the
vicinity of Delhi was because the seeds of green revolution
reached /sown in these states, which provided them edge
over other states?