crop manufacturing: India’s water utilization for per tonne crop manufacturing 2-3 occasions greater than developed nations: Niti Aayog’s Ramesh Chand

Whereas delivering a key notice speech at a operate organized in New Delhi on the event of World Water Day 2024 by plant safety firm Dhanuka Group on Friday, the Niti Aayog member stated that the realm beneath cultivation in India has elevated however largely for Rabi crops, when it largely doesn’t rain.

“This wants to vary and state governments specifically want to advertise cultivation in line with native environmental and geographical circumstances,” Professor Chand stated, as per a press launch.

Paddy and sugarcane are two main water-guzzling crops, and India is a serious producer of each these crops.

India has three cropping seasons — Summer time, Kharif, and Rabi.

Crops which can be sown throughout October and November and the produce harvested from January relying on maturity are Rabi. Crops sown throughout June-July and depending on monsoon rains are harvested in October-November are kharif. Crops produced between Rabi and Kharif are Summer time crops.Highlighting the plight of the nation’s irrigation infrastructure earlier than 2015, Professor Ramesh Chand additional stated billions of rupees had been invested in irrigation initiatives – medium and main, however the space beneath irrigation remained stagnant.”Between 1995 and 2015, billions of rupees had been invested on irrigation initiatives -medium and main, however space beneath irrigation remained stagnant. It required overhaul and since 2015, the Central Authorities modified the strategy. Consequently, the realm beneath irrigation has elevated by 1 per cent yearly from previous couple of years taking it from 47 per cent to 55 per cent now,” he added.

PK Singh, Agriculture Commissioner for the federal government of India, placing emphasis on much less funding intensive strategies to extend space beneath irrigation utilizing the identical quantity of water, stated they had been exploring methods to maximise the utilization of floor water in collaboration with Jal Shakti ministry.

“In collaboration with Jal Shakti ministry, we’re exploring methods to maximise utilization of floor water. For instance, if water of a canal is presently irrigating 100 hectare of agricultural land, how can we take it to 150 hectare utilizing numerous means however similar quantity of water,” Singh added.