Mains Practice Questions

Approach

• Start the answer with writing about micro-irrigation.
• Discuss the significance of micro-irrigation for sustainable agriculture.
• Also discuss challenges prevalent in the adoption of such irrigation systems.
• Suggest a way forward.

Introduction

Micro-irrigation is a modern method of irrigation by which water is irrigated through drippers, sprinklers, foggers and by other emitters on the surface or subsurface of the land.

Sprinkler irrigation and drip irrigation are the commonly used micro-irrigation methods.

Body

Significance of Micro-Irrigation

• Micro-irrigation ensures water use efficiency as much as 50- 90%.
• Water savings in comparison with flood irrigation are to the tune of 30-50%, with an average of 32.3%.
• Electricity consumption falls significantly.
• Adoption of micro-irrigation results in savings on fertilizers.
• Increase in the average productivity of fruits and vegetables.
• It leads to overall enhancement of farmers’ income.

Challenges Faced by Micro-Irrigation Industry

• Slower Adoption Pace for Drip Method of Irrigation (DMI): The Task Force on Micro-Irrigation in India (2004) estimated India’s total drip irrigation potential stands at 27 million hectares.
  
  • However, the area under drip-irrigation accounts for a mere 4% of gross irrigated area and about 15% of its total potential (2016-17).
  • Moreover, the adoption of DMI is also concentrated only in a few States.
• Lack of awareness on the part of farmers due to knowledge gap that still exists between researchers/agricultural scientists and farmers.
• Lack of availability of funds.

Way Forward

• Role of Administration: Setting a timeline for each stage, from an application by a farmer to the execution and payment disbursement and strengthening the government’s monitoring mechanism by insisting on a periodic review of applications, approvals, work orders and actual installations.
  
  • Deploying direct benefit transfers for subsidy sums for micro-irrigation to go straight into the bank accounts of farmers.
• The capital cost required for the drip-irrigation method should be brought down substantially.
  
  • A special subsidy programme may be introduced for water-intensive crops like sugarcane, banana and vegetables.