P Otential for D Rip and S Prinkler I Rrigation in I Ndia

The water use efficiency under conventional flood method of irrigation, which is predominantly practised in Indian agriculture, is very low due to substantial conveyance and distribution losses. Recognizing the fast decline of irrigation water potential and increasing demand for water from different sectors, a number of demand management strategies and programmes have been introduced to save water and increase the existing water use efficiency in Indian agriculture. One such method introduced relatively recently in Indian agriculture is micro-irrigation, which includes both drip and sprinkler method of irrigation. Micro-irrigation (MI) is proved to be an efficient method in saving water and increasing water use efficiency as compared to the conventional surface method of irrigation, where water use efficiency is only about 35-40 percent. Though both drip and sprinkler irrigation methods are in use over the last two decades or so, not many studies seem to have studied the potential and prospects of micro-irrigation covering different states in India. In this study, therefore, an attempt is made to (a) study the current research on micro-irrigation, (b) study the past trends in drip and sprinkler irrigated area across states, (c) analyse the efficiency of drip and sprinkler irrigation, (d) estimate the potential area for drip and sprinkler irrigation in different states and (e) study the reasons for the slow adoption of micro irrigation as well as to suggest policy/technical interventions for increasing the adoption of WSTs in the future. This study shows that the benefits of micro-irrigation in terms of water saving and productivity gains are substantial in comparison to the same crops cultivated under flood method of irrigation. Micro-irrigation is also found to be reducing energy (electricity) requirement, weed problems, soil erosion and cost of cultivation. Investment in microirrigation also appears to be economically viable, even without availing State subsidy. Despite this, as of today, the coverage of drip (2.13 percent) and sprinkler (3.30 percent) method of irrigation is very meager to its total potential, which is estimated to be 21.01 million hectares for drip and 50.22 million hectares of sprinkler irrigation method. It is identified that slow spread of MI is not mainly due to economic reasons, but due to less awareness among the farmers about the real economic and revenue-related benefits of it. Therefore, apart from promotional schemes, the study suggests various technical and policy interventions for increasing the adoption of these two water saving technologies. * Dr. A. Narayanamoorthy is working as Reader, Gokhale Institute of Politics and Economics (Deemed University), Pune – 411 004, India. Tel: +91-20-25650287/25654288; Fax: 25652579; E-mail: [email protected]