Agriculture and Actions for Efficient Water Management

June 12, 2020June 12, 2020 Debjeet Banerjee and Arjun Veer Chadha

Consuming more than 90% of groundwater resources, agriculture is a critical activity at the centre of the water crisis. Although holding just 4% of global usable water resources, India is a virtual exporter of water. Around 2.6 million tube wells are used to irrigate over 12.68 million hectares of land feeding the water requirements of water-intensive crops like rice, sugarcane, cotton, banana, and such.

Such a situation triggers an urgent call for innovative solutions to address the crisis. Sustainable models not only to curb the shortage but also to conserve water are much needed to optimize agriculture for improved productivity and profitability.

Analysis of the gap:

India’s critical water resources are on the verge of hitting the bedrock. Triggered by higher Minimum Support Price (MSP) for 14 Kharif crops and increasing global demand for food, water-guzzling crops like paddy, sugarcane, and cotton are extensively produced. Resulting in more than 57% of states growing crops are water-stressed.

Despite the worsening of water crisis situations and challenges, room for optimism prevails with the water management receiving due government attention. During the Union Budget speech, the finance minister listed a 16-point action plan for the agricultural sector, focusing on measures such as 1. To address water shortage in 100 water-stressed districts. 2. Allocating funds of approximately Rs 11500 cr for Jal Jeevan Mission 3. Encouraging large corporations to continue their attention to play their part in resolving the water crisis.

What can be the next action plan?

DEVELOPING AN IMPACT BOND FOR GROUNDWATER REJUVENATION

Impact bonds will be the key force to ignite the innovation spur to achieve the groundwater replenishment targets. An outcome-based incentive payment mechanism can be built either by the government support or individual investors to provide pay-outs to the NGO or other organization who can undertake the implementation to recharge groundwater.
Based upon the ideas of the Washington DC’S water utility and banks, who have established a $25 million impact bond to reduce runoffs and rainwater falling on city infrastructure that is not been absorbed by the ground
As per the Niti Aayog report Impact bond can rejuvenate 10 cubic km or 2-5% of groundwater through an incentive program.

ESTABLISHING A NATIONWIDE IRRIGATION FUND

In India, rules regarding natural resources particularly water comes under the state list making it a hot topic for face-offs between the states and center. Due to this decentralization of power, the central government finds it difficult to launch a nationwide action plan to improve the irrigation state of India. Using excerpts from the Australian National Water infrastructure Development Fund to provide financing to states for building water infrastructures like dams, pipelines, or aquifer recharge.
This structure will enable the union government to formulate national policy guidelines by providing funds for water infrastructure and conservation to high- performing states.
Niti Aayog through its report on a Nationwide Irrigation Fund stated that:
Irrigation funds have a High Economic Viability as the cost of setting up is expected to be low due to the consolidation of existing funds.
While commenting on the impact they stated that this likely to save ~50 km3 of water annually by enabling state buy-in for pricing and allocation guidelines.

MICRO IRRIGATION and UNDERGROUND IRRIGATION

Overcoming the loop sides of traditional flood irrigation, methods of drip irrigation proved to be a considerable improvement. With more than 90% efficiency, micro-irrigation and underground irrigation is the next-gen upgrade in the agricultural sector.

The farmer who adopts the technique experience:

The central government is planning to use a drip irrigation method compulsory for crops such as Sugarcane and Paddy. As reported by Union minister for Jal Shakti, Gajendra Shekhawat that one kilogram of paddy, India consumes 5,600 litres of water whereas China produces the same amount of paddy with just 330-400 litres of water. “On average, India gets around 5.2 kg of sugarcane with one cubic metre of water. This is better than the global average of 4.80 kg/m3. But South Africa produces up to 7.8 kg with the same quantity of water and Thailand gets between 5.8 and 6.5 kg/m3 of water,” said an official.

Recently, the direct benefit transfers of the subsidy to the farmers has accelerated the market competition and innovation that enables greater adoption and lowering the cost.

“Groundwater usage for agriculture is estimated to be ~600 cubic km out of which 20% or 100 km can be easily saved using micro-lending techniques” Stated by the NITI Aayog.

SOLAR POWERED CROP

Solar-powered pumps a new entrant in the farming sector is all set to provide the much-needed growth push in the sector. Many farmers in hot and dry climates are reaping the two-fold benefits of it
As solar-powered pumps are a free source of energy, they bring down the cost of production significantly while reducing carbon emissions.

Farmers using solar pumps to sell excess power back to the grid. The guaranteed buy-back scheme produces a “triple win”; farmers gain income, the state gains electricity reserves, and the water source is conserved by curbing usage.

The scheme is being piloted in Gujarat, and IWMI estimates that solarising India’s 20m irrigation wells could reduce carbon emissions by 4-5% per year.

SEWAGE TREATMENT

India treats only 30% of wastewater before discharging and the percentage of reusing the water is negligible (as per the government report), posing a serious long-run threat to food and water security of India. Wastewater management has always faced challenges. India needs to establish a network of treatment plants and pipelines which are aimed at recycling the domestic wastewater and using it back into the supply system for reuse in domestic and agricultural consumption.
It has low economic viability as treatment and reuse plants will be extensive projects requiring long term capital investment. But this high impact intervention can ensure that ~100 cubic km of water used for domestic and industrial purposes can be treated and reused for domestic and irrigation purposes. As stated in the NITI AAayog’s report.

PRECISION IRRIGATION

AI-enabled technologies can automate the drip irrigation technique. While analyzing the patterns in the growth process of plants, humidity, the water-retaining capacity of the soil, and the local weather to deliver reports on water requirements on specific areas with precise amounts to deliver. This results in a significant reduction in water requirement and reduces water wastage.

Sources:

https://niti.gov.in/writereaddata/files/document_publication/2018-05-18-Water-index-Report_vS6B.pdf
https://blogs.worldbank.org/water/agriculture-holds-key-tackling-water-scarcity/
https://www.oav.de › 5_StudienPDF
https://www.nabard.org/auth/writereaddata/tender/1806181128Water%20Productivity%20Mapping%20of%20Major%20Indian%20Crops,%20Web%20Version%20(Low%20Resolution%20PDF).pdf