How Indian agriculture uses Water?

How Indian agriculture uses Water?

Context: We will discuss India’s efforts in context of Food security and also water usage in agriculture.

How India uses water for agriculture?
• India, with 18% of the world’s population, only possesses 4% of its freshwater resources.
• Agriculture uses as high as 85 percent of the available water in India. The irrigated area accounts for nearly 48.8 percent of the 140 million hectare (mha) of agricultural land.
• It is estimated that Indian farmers use 2 to 4 times more water to produce a unit of major food crop than in China or Brazil.
• Groundwater is the primary source of irrigation. Various subsidies and incentives are given to support it. However, it has led to over-exploitation of water, especially in the northwest region.
• As per a NABARD-ICRIER study on Water Productivity Mapping; Rice and Sugarcane alone consume almost 60 % of India’s irrigation water.
• India is the country with the highest usage of water in agriculture, followed by China, US, and Russia.

What are Government of India’s initiatives for Agriculture?
• National Mission of Sustainable Agriculture (2010)
• Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojana (PMKSY) (2015) – Har Khet ko Pani, Per drop more crop, Accelarated irrigation benefit programme
• Paramparagat Krishi Vikas Yojana - Implemented to leverage climate-smart farming practices and technologies
• National Project on Organic Farming and National Agroforestry Policy
• Neem coated Urea, Liquid Nano Urea
• Digital Soil Health cards, e-NAM, Agri-Stack