According to data presented by the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare (MoAFW) to Lok Sabha, 4 states namely Sikkim, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka & Maharashtra have more than half of the net cultivated farmlands under micro-irrigation in India.
- The data also shows that 27 States (including UTs) have less than 30% micro-irrigation system out of which 23 have fewer than 15% micro-irrigation.
- The Totalnet irrigated area in India is 68, 649 thousand Hectares, out of which lands covered under micro-irrigation is 12, 908.44 thousand Hectares.
- The data have been taken during the period of 2005-06 to 2020-21 (as on February 3, 2021).
Fact
- India has set a target of covering 100 Lakh Hectares in 5 years under micro-irrigation.
| State | Net Irrigated Area* | Areas Covered under micro-irrigation | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Drip Irrigation | Sprinkler Irrigation | % | ||
| Sikkim | 16 | 6.35 | 5.26 | 73 |
| Andhra Pradesh | 2, 719 | 1, 388.13 | 519.17 | 70 |
| Karnataka | 3, 104 | 752.82 | 1, 148.70 | 61 |
*Area are in thousand hectares
Statistics of Irrigation
i.In India, The total irrigated land under micro-irrigation is just 19%.
ii.Agricultural lands under micro-irrigation is 12, 908.44 Thousand Hectares out of which,
- Areas under Drip Irrigation is 6, 112.05 Thousand Hectares
- Areas under Sprinkler Irrigation is 6, 796.39 Thousand Hectares.
Impact Evaluation
Department of Agriculture, Cooperation and Farmers Welfare also carried out an impact evaluation study of Micro-irrigation scheme in India.
The findings are
- Irrigation cost is reduced by 20-50% with an average of 32.3 % in micro-irrigation schemes.
- Electricity consumption is also reduced by about 31%.
- Savings of Fertilizers is in the range of 7-42%.
- Overall income enhancement of farmers is in the range of 20-68% with an average of 48.5 %.
Performance of States – Micro Irrigation
- Uttar Pradesh which is the largest sugarcane grower has only 1.5% of its land under Micro-irrigation.
- Punjab, the major wheat grower has only 1.2% land under micro-irrigation.
- Bihar & West Bengal have less than 5% of lands under micro-irrigation.
The data highlights that upto 60% of water used for sugarcane, banana, okra, papaya, bittergourd & other crops could be saved if a drip irrigation system is employed for cultivation.
Water Scarcity
According to a Parliamentary committee report,
- Peninsular rivers are facing a serious crisis of post-monsoon flows.
- If the demand for water continues to rise, India will not be able to meet half of the demand for water by 2030.
- It highlighted the declining water tables in India, and mixing of fluoride, arsenic, mercury, uranium in our groundwater.
- The report states that we have spent only huge money for construction of dams & main canal systems, not on durable outcomes.
- The average cost increase is 1382% in major irrigation projects & 325% in medium irrigation projects.
Schemes to Improve Micro Irrigation in India
The Government of India has initiated several schemes for developing Micro Irrigation in India. They are
PMKSY-PDMC
- Per Drop More Crop component of Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayi Yojana (PMKSY-PDMC).
- It was launched in 2015 and is being implemented by the National Executive Committee (NEC) at National level under the chairmanship of Vice Chairman of NITI Aayog.
Micro Irrigation Fund (MIF)
In the Union Budget 2021-22, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman has doubled the allocation under MIF to INR 10, 000 crore.
- It is operationalized in NABARD from 2019-20.
- Nodal Agency – Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare (MoA&FW).
- Objective – To facilitate the state government to mobilize resources for expanding coverage under micro irrigation.
Recent Related News:
i.On November 21, 2020, Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare (MoAFW) has approved subsidized loans worth Rs 3,971.31 crore under Micro Irrigation Fund (MIF) for implementing micro-irrigation projects.
About Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare (MoAFW):
Union Minister – Narendra Singh Tomar (Lok Sabha MP, Constituency – Morena, Madhya Pradesh)
Minister of State – Parshottam Rupala (Rajya Sabha MP representing Gujarat), Kailash Choudhary (Lok Sabha MP, Constituency – Barmer, Rajasthan)
