Bhubaneswar: A national conference on micro irrigation was organised Thursday here by the Department of Agriculture, Cooperation and Farmers Welfare, Government of India and Department of Agriculture and Farmers’ Empowerment, Government of Odisha.
The conference was attended by representatives of a number of states across the country including those from Tamil Nadu, Maharsahtra, Gujarat and Uttar Pradesh. They shared their experience about best practices of micro irrigation on rice, sugarcane, cotton and other produces.
Speaking at the conference, Odisha Agriculture Minister Arun Kumar Sahoo said that due to the recent ‘Cyclone Bulbul’ more than three lakh hectares of land has been affected. However, he also pointed out that agriculture is the largest provider of employment opportunity in Odisha.
Sahoo also informed that the state Agriculture Department will hold a meeting with National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) for proper implementation of micro irrigation funds provided by the Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojana (PMKSY) scheme. The fund has been set up under NABARD which will provide loans at concessional rates to states to boost agriculture production and farmers income through micro irrigation.
Sahoo laid emphasis on the need to implement micro irrigation as it is the key to efficient use of water and enhance production.
Additional Secretary, Agriculture Department, Government of India Alka Bhargava said that the eastern and north-eastern states have not really developed micro irrigation to the level that the southern states are doing. “Our main aim is to bring more and more states under PMKSY for the development of rain-fed portions of net cultivated area and cultivable wastelands in association with states,” she said.
Bhargava warned that the natural water level under the soil is decreasing due to global warming. “Agriculture in India is biggest user of ground level water and many states such as Odisha, UP, Tamil Nadu, Rajasthan, Gujarat and Karnataka are facing severe water crisis and are at the red level situation,” she informed.
Bhargava stated that the PMKSY focuses on water conservation and its management. It has been formulated with the vision of extending the coverage of irrigation and is called ‘Har Khet ko pani’ (water for each and every agricultural land) and improving water use efficiency ‘More crop per drop’ in a focused manner.
Saurabh Garg, Principal Secretary, Department Of Agriculture and Farmers Empowerment, Government of Odisha said that despite having substantial rainfall Odisha still faces water scarcity in many pockets of the state.
“We already have system of online system for agriculture farmers so that they don’t have to visit the government offices. We are emphasising on use of micro irrigation system for exchanging crop production and to share water as the systems can be very efficiently used for wide range of crops including fruits, vegetables, flowers, rice, sugarcane and cotton,” stated Garg.
Director of Horticulture Department, Bijay Ketan Upadhyaya said water is the critical input for agriculture and thus requires judicial use for sustainable agricultural development and ensures food security. “There is a need of adopting optimum cropping pattern and efficient water utilisation. Proper use of Micro irrigation system will help in saving water up to 40 percent and increase crop productivity and earning for farmers,” pointed out Upadhyaya.
PNN