Lok Sabha Question No. 3535 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2019-12-10
Subject: Conservation of Water in Agriculture
Ministry: AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE
Asked by: A. Ganeshamurthi, Sanjay(Kaka) Ramchandra Patil

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE, COOPERATION AND FARMERS WELFARE

## LOK  SABHA

UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 3535 TO BE ANSWERED ON THE 10 TH  DECEMBER, 2019

## CONSERVATION OF WATER IN AGRICULTURE

3535.  SHRI A. GANESHAMURTHI: SHRI SANJAY KAKA PATIL:

Will the Minister of AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE कृ ष एवं कसान कयाण मंी be pleased to state:

- (a) whether the Union Government is in the process of exploring new ways to curb farm water  use  and  is  considering  making  drip  irrigation  mandatory  for  sugarcane  and  paddy which are two biggest water-quizzing crops, if so, the details thereof;
- (b) whether steps will be taken to make awareness among the farmers and agriculturists to use drip irrigation to save water, if so, the details thereof and if not, the reasons therefor;
- (c) whether  the  Ministry  of  Agriculture  and  Farmers  Welfare  has  taken  any  steps  to promote the growth of drip irrigation to optimal use of water in India, if so, the schemes for the purpose and their funds allocation during the financial year 2019-20;
- (d) the  current  status  of  total  area  under  drip-irrigation  and  non-drip  irrigation  for  farm cultivation; and
- (e) if so, the details thereof, State-wise?

## ANSWER

MINISTER OF AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE

कृ ष एवं कसान कयाण मंी (SHRI NARENDRA SINGH TOMAR)

- (a) to (c): Various initiatives taken for optimal use of water in agriculture include :
1.     Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) has developed cost effective, location specific technologies viz. rainwater harvesting and recycling, conjunctive use of rain, surface and  groundwater  resources,  smart  and  precision  technologies  for  irrigation  and  farming practices,  optimum  irrigation  scheduling,  resource  conservation  technologies  and  efficient rain water harvesting structures so that the harvested water can be used for supplemental /lifesaving irrigation under water scarce situations.

2.          Modern  agronomic  practices  like  raised  bed  sowing,  alternate  furrow  irrigation, mulching alternate wetting & drying method, laser land leveling, adoption of varieties which require less water etc. are being promoted through various programmes.

3.      Direct Seeded Rice (DSR) and System of Rice Intensification (SRI) is being promoted for reducing water requirement in rice.

4.            Diversifying  cropping  pattern  from  water  guzzling  crops  like  low  land  rice  and sugarcane to pulses, oilseeds, maize, agro-forestry etc.

5.         The scheme namely Per Drop More Crop (PDMC) component of Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojana (PMKSY) focuses on enhancing water use efficiency at farm level and assists farmers to adopt Micro Irrigation viz. Drip and Sprinkler Irrigation systems with special focus on water guzzling crops like sugarcane, cotton, banana, etc.

An amount of Rs. 3500 crore has been allocated for implementation of the scheme during the financial year 2019-20 (BE).

Awareness  about  Micro  Irrigation  is  done  through    print  media,  leaflets/booklets, workshops, exhibitions, farmer fairs etc. Trainings and field demonstrations at Krishi Vigyan Kendras (KVK) are also done.  Under PMKSY-PDMC, demonstrations on micro irrigation have been established at 160 KVKs.

(d) & (e): Net sown area and Net irrigated area in the country is 140130 thousand ha. and 68385 thousand ha. respectively.

The  total  micro  irrigation  area  covered  under  the  Centrally  Sponsored Schemes on  Micro  Irrigation  from  2005-06  to  2019-20  (as  on  November,  2019)  is  8747  thousand ha.(drip  4589  thousand  ha.  &  sprinkler  4158  thousand  ha.).    The  state  wise  detail  is annexed.

## Annexure to Lok Sabha Unstarred Question No. 3535 for answer on 10.12.2019 Details of Net Sown area, Net irrigated area and Micro Irrigation area covered

(in thousand hectares)

| Sl   | State             |   Net Area* |   Net irrigated area* | Micro Irrigation Area#   | Sprinkler   | Total   |
|------|-------------------|-------------|-----------------------|--------------------------|-------------|---------|
| 1    | Andhra Pradesh    |        6236 |                  2927 |                          | 376         | 1556    |
| 2    | Arunachal Pradesh |         225 |                    56 |                          | -           | -       |
| 3    | Assam             |        2827 |                   296 |                          | 1           | 1       |
| 4    | Bihar             |        5278 |                  2987 |                          | 100         | 109     |
| 5    | Chhattisgarh      |        4681 |                  1466 |                          | 194         | 215     |
| 6    | Goa               |         129 |                    39 |                          | 1           | 1       |
| 7    | Gujarat           |       10302 |                  4233 |                          | 616         | 1281    |
| 8    | Haryana           |        3522 |                  2974 |                          | 65          | 98      |
| 9    | Himachal Pradesh  |         550 |                   113 |                          | 4           | 8       |
| 10   | Jammu & Kashmir   |         758 |                   331 |                          | -           | -       |
| 11   | Jharkhand         |        1385 |                   207 |                          | 16          | 37      |
| 12   | Karnataka         |       10044 |                  3589 |                          | 928         | 1509    |
| 13   | Kerala            |        2043 |                   414 |                          | 9           | 22      |
| 14   | Madhya Pradesh    |       15351 |                  9584 |                          | 139         | 441     |
| 15   | Maharashtra       |       17345 |                  3244 |                          | 379         | 1259    |
| 16   | Manipur           |         383 |                    69 |                          | 2           | 2       |
| 17   | Meghalaya         |         286 |                    81 |                          | 0           | 1       |
| 18   | Mizoram           |         145 |                    16 |                          | 1           | 6       |
| 19   | Nagaland          |         384 |                    97 |                          | -           | -       |
| 20   | Orissa            |        4474 |                  1259 |                          | 104         | 130     |
| 21   | Punjab            |        4119 |                  4118 |                          | 4           | 34      |
| 22   | Rajasthan         |       17521 |                  7882 |                          | 750         | 929     |
| 23   | Sikkim            |          77 |                    12 |                          | 2           | 4       |
| 24   | Tamil Nadu        |        4819 |                  2726 |                          | 233         | 644     |
| 25   | Telangana         |        4377 |                  1726 |                          | 70          | 264     |
| 25   | Tripura           |         255 |                    79 |                          | 0           | 1       |
| 26   | Uttarakhand       |         700 |                   330 |                          | 7           | 15      |
| 27   | Uttar Pradesh     |       16598 |                 14389 |                          | 142         | 164     |
| 28   | West Bengal       |        5238 |                  3102 |                          | 16          | 16      |
| 29   | A & N Island      |          15 |                     0 |                          | -           | -       |
| 30   | Chandigarh        |           1 |                     0 |                          | -           | -       |
| 31   | D&N Haveli        |          19 |                     4 |                          | -           | -       |
| 32   | Daman & Diu       |           3 |                     0 |                          | -           | -       |
| 33   | Delhi             |          22 |                    22 |                          | -           | -       |
| 34   | Lakshadweep       |           2 |                     0 |                          | -           | -       |
| 35   | Pondicherry       |          16 |                    13 |                          | -           | -       |
|      | Total             |      140130 |                 68385 |                          | 4158        | 8747    |

Source: *Agriculture  Statistics  at  Glance  2018,  Directorate  of  Economics  &  Statistics DAC&FW, Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare

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