Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Excess Irrigation
Excess Irrigation
Excess Irrigation
September 1993
Dr Jayant Patil
Convenor, Group on Sardar Sarovar Project
Member, Planning Commission
Yojana Bhawan, New Delhi 110001
Thank You for your letter dtd 8th September, 1993 inviting me to
share my views and experiences with your group studying the Sardar
Sarovar Project. I shall be glad to co-operate, and give below a
concise statement as requested in your letter.
I have personally seen the terrible condition of the land in the regions
of Sangli and Baramati. This is a direct consequence of irrigation-
intensive agriculture. One can actually taste the high saltiness of the
soil. In many parts, the ground-water level has risen upto the root
zone and can be found at a depth of barely 4-5 feet. The situation is
such that not even a blade of grass can grow on such land. Huge
areas in Punjab irrigated from Bhakra Nangal have been similarly
ruined by soil-salinisation and water-logging. Such examples are
numerous, and most large irrigation schemes face this threat.
The water used to irrigate one acre of sugarcane can provide the
needs of atleast 25 acres of jowar, bajra or maize. One kg of basmati
rice requires 300 to 400 litres of water, and large quantities of such
rice are exported. One kg of corn requires only 15 to 17 litres of water
and this crop is imported. In effect, we are exporting our water
resources.
Some decades ago, there grew trees and forests even in parts of
Saurashtra and Kutchh, and more rain used to fall than we have now.
Today, there are still thick rain clouds darkening the skies in the
monsoon months as they pass above these regions. But little or no
rain falls on the ground, as the hot dry air is not suitable for
condensation. We unfortunately forget that deserts do not form
because there is no rain. The truth is that rain stops falling because
we have already destroyed the vegetation and created deserts.
In the past, Kutchh lost its green cover through the clear-felling of
trees and forests for selling timber. Today, India is losing most of her
vegetation and destroying her soils because of modern irrigation-
intensive agriculture, modern (reckless) development, and cancerous
urbanisation. This is the path of desertification and man-made
famines. The only alternative is to reduce water wastage, and follow
nature's way to regeneration..
NATURE'S WAY
The Example of Mountain Forests:
If all organic ‘waste materials’, e.g. crop residues, leaf litter, cattle and
human excreta, etc. are returned to the soil, these are broken down
through the digestive processes of the soil creatures, increasing
humus on the surface. This dark mixture of semi-decomposed and
fully decomposed matter, is a very absorbent substance. It is the
most important element in ensuring the sustained fertility of the soil,
and stores both rainwater and dissolved minerals for the plants to
draw upon. Equally helpful is its role in enabling excess water to drain
away to deeper layers of the sub-soil, and finally to the ground-water
table.
WHAT CAN BE DONE
Controlling Water Wastage :
It is my firm belief that large irrigation schemes are not necessary for
sustainable and self-sufficient agriculture. Rather, such schemes
have usually resulted in excessive misuse of water, starting a chain
effect of various problems, making it essential to adopt the above
measures to minimise the damage caused. The present trend of
demand for irrigation water is like a bottomless pit. If wastage
continues in this manner, not even a dozen Sardar Sarovar Projects
will be sufficient.
Thanking you,
Yours sincerely,
Bhaskar H Save