Irrigation water management for improved wue: context of national water policy 2012

The basic dynamics of irrigation development in India are changing. In the past there has been sufficient water and land available to expand the irrigated area. This is no longer the case, with both good quality land and adequate water now constraining further development in many states. Many states are now entering a period of vertical integration, where better management of existing irrigation systems rather than construction of new schemes predominate. This transition will require new skills and expertise within Irrigation Departments if they are to meet the current and upcoming challenges. Improving the performance of completed Major and Medium Irrigation (MMI) schemes has been the main focus of the National Water Mission (NWM) and set a target of increasing the Water Use Efficiency (WUE) by 20% in the current plan period. WUE studies carried out by the Central Water Commission (CWC) on 30 MMI schemes indicates that in nine schemes WUE was found to be less than 30 percent and the average was 38 percent. The NWM and 12th FYP targets the average figure would need to rise to 46% by the end of the plan period. Water measurement and quantification, participatory irrigation management, conjunctive use of surface and ground water, integrated water resource management, modernization of irrigation systems, demand based delivery of irrigation water are some of the areas identified for sustainable management of irrigation water. Irrigation project wise efforts are required to be made on (A) Water Management under Scarce Conditions. The valuable management practices of each project during scarce water conditions need to be recorded. Lessons can be learnt from such experiences for dealing water scarce situations. The crisis management strategies adopted in Godavari and Krishna Deltas of AP and in Sriramsagar Project of Telanagana helped in overcoming water shortages. (B) Large Scale Implementation of Water Saving Technologies Any measures made towards promotion of methods towards improvement of land and water productivity need to be mapped and accounted. AWD, Rotational Irrigation, SRI and Direct Seeding of paddy cultivation are some of the examples. (C) Promotion of Micro Irrigation in canal commands. National Task Force on MI in 2003 has identified 69 mha areas suitable for micro irrigation in India. Now time has come to expand micro irrigation into command areas to improve water use efficiency substantially and increase productivity as envisaged by National Water Mission. (D) Incentivizing Water Saving. Concepts like virtual water and water credits are to be introduced to create awareness on saving of water and encourage the farmers or agencies through some incentives for contribution towards improved water use efficiency. (E) Multiple Uses of Water and Economic Value. Irrigation projects are serving important sectors apart from irrigation. It needs to be accurately mapped and estimated the water utilized in various sectors and their contribution for overall economy. FAO has developed a tool called MASSMUS Application for evaluating Multiple Uses of Irrigation Projects.