Transcript Document

5th WORLD WATER FORUM
WATER AND FOOD FOR ENDING
POVERTY AND HUNGER
SITUATION IN INDIA AND
FUTURE APPROACH
PRESENTATION BY CHAIRMAN,
CENTRAL WATER COMMISSION
MINISTRY OF WATER RESOURCES
GOVERNMENT OF INDIA
Prologue

Food, water and life are are inter-related
 Food production requires agriculture and
irrigation
 Poverty and hunger mitigation is the
challenge of the millennium
 Water is a vital input for the farmer
engaged in agricultural production
 The Millennium Development Goal (MDG)
has set eradication of poverty as one of its
important goals
2
Some facts about India
Geographical Area
329 Million hectare
(2.45% of world land
area) Cultivable Area
184 Mha (~ 56
%)
Forest Cover
21%
Ultimate irrigation Potential 139.9 Mha
Population
1.027 billion
(16% of world population)
3
India’s Water Resources
Annual average precipitation -
-
4000 BCM
Highly variable in space and time
Minimum - 100 mm in Western Desert
Maximum - 11000 mm in North Eastern
Region
Rainfall during June to September
3000 BCM
Average annual potential
Utilisable Water Potential
Surface water – 690 BCM
1869 BCM
1123 BCM
-
Ground water – 433 BCM
4
India –Present Status of Development

Live storage capacity increased from 15.6
BCM in 1950 to 225 BCM now. Another
64 BCM under construction

108 BCM contemplated

Foodgrain production increased from 51
million tonnes in 1950 to 217 million tonnes
in 2007 p.a.
 Irrigation potential created by 2006 is
102.77 Mha against 22.6 Mha in 1951
5
India –Present Status of Development

Share of agriculture in GDP declined from
more than half in 1950 to less than 20%
currently but largest employment and
livelihood

Irrigated
agriculture
has
massive
contribution towards food production

Irrigation enables higher production from
land specially with use of high yielding
varieties, fertilizers and other inputs
6
India –Present Status of Development

Agricultural production increase through:
- expansion of cultivated areas,
- shift in cropping pattern,
- enhanced productivity by irrigation

Irrigation development influences greatly
incidence of poverty and alleviation
7
India – Future scenario

The country’s population of 1027 million (2001
census) is expected to stabilize around 1600 million
by 2050

To meet foodgrain demand reasonably, production
of around 500 million tonnes per annum by 2050 is
targeted (presently 217 MT)

Irrigation water demand around 810 BCM
8
Approach of Indian Government

National Food Security Mission launched
aimed at increasing cereal and pulses
production
 Additional
investment necessary for
adoption of best practices
 Undertaking
watershed
management
programme in dryland areas
9
Approach of the Indian Government

National Rural Employment Guarantee Act
(NREGA) enacted by Government of India

aims for enhancement of livelihood security
of rural households

to augment employment, strengthening of
natural resource management to address
chronic poverty and encourage sustainable
development.
10
Approach of the Indian Government
 Works
identified under NREGA:
 Artificial Recharge of Ground Water
 Repair, Renovation and Restoration of Water
Bodies
 Accelerated Irrigation Benefits Programme (AIBP)
 Flood Management Programme
 Farmer’s
Participatory
Action
Research
Programme
 Command
Area
Development
&
Water
Management
11
Speedy Completion of Ongoing Projects
 Accelerated
Irrigation
Benefits
Programme launched in 1996-1997 to
provide Central Assistance to major
and medium irrigation projects for
their early completion
 Recently
scheme of National Projects
taken up to expedite completion of
identified national projects
12
National Perspective Plan
 National
Perspective Plan (NPP) for
Water
Resources
Development
formulated
 Envisages
inter-linkages between
various for transfer of water from
surplus river basins to water deficit
basins for optimum utilization
13
Development of Ground Water

Groundwater irrigating about 60% of irrigated
area also important for agricultural production.

Concerns about groundwater are* over-exploitation in some areas
* under-utilization in large parts of country
14
Development of Ground Water
 In
India, ownership of groundwater
with owner of land resulting in
overexploitation in certain regions.
 Priority
given to exploit groundwater
where abundantly available
15
Development of Rainfed Area

Rainfed areas home to majority of rural
poor and marginal farmers. They require
technological, institutional, infrastructural,
and investment support
 Challenge to improve rural livelihoods
through
participatory
watershed
development
projects
to
increase
productivity in a sustainable manner.
 Government constituted National Rainfed
Area Authority (NRAA) to provide
sustainable development.
16
Water Management
 Bridging
gap between potential created
and being utilised
 Optimise agricultural production and
productivity through efficient land and
water management, Command Area
Development a programme for which
started in 1975.
17
Water Management
 Better
O&M of existing facilities
and
efforts
for
Extension,
Renovation & Modernisation
 Water
saving technologies such as
drip / sprinklers systems being
encouraged in larger .
18
Participatory Approach
 National
Water Policy formulated
which
emphasizes participatory
approach involving all stakeholders
 Number
of Water Users Associations
established
by
State
Irrigation
Departments
for
transferring
technology
 Appropriate
role for women
19
Water Quality Issues

Preservation of water quality very
important as availability of fresh water
affected due to pollution
 Government Water Policy emphasizes
treatment of effluents to acceptable level
before discharging to the natural streams.
 Water quality monitoring is carried out by
the Central and State Pollution Control
Organisations through nationwide network
of water quality monitoring stations.
20
Climate Change
 National
Action Plan for Climate
Change set up by Government under
Prıme Mınıster ıncludes Water Mission
Water Mission aıms at
conservation of water, minimizing
wastage and ensuring equitable
distribution through integrated water
resources management
 National
21
Climate Change
Goals identified under National Water Mission:
 Comprehensive water database in public domain
 Reliable assessment of impact of climate change on
water resources
 Promotion of citizen and state action for water
conservation and augmentation
 Focused attention for over-exploited areas
 Increasing water use efficiency by 20%
 Promotion of basin level integrated water resources
management
22
Epilogue
 Poverty
alleviation
through
enhanced food production is
biggest challenge.
 Sustained
agriculture dependant
on proper planning, development
and management of water.
23
Epilogue

Government of India adopted wide range of
policies, programmes and strategies to
ensure future food requirements being met
without compromising sustainability of
resources.

Importance to environmental social and
economic issues so that benefits can be
maximized and negative impacts kept to
minimum.
24
25