Water Resources and

Agriculture Development

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Principle Economic
Activity Agriculture
 Forestry
 Livestock
 Fisheries
Note : more than 50 % of the
workforce depend on
agriculture activity.
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Status of Water Resources in North
• Population.
• 1.9million in 1971
• 2.9million in 2002
• 3.2million in 2012

• Cross Domestic Product

• 23 % in 1996 out of this 19 % from agriculture

• Now only 3-4% from North and 17% from East

• Water Need

• Domestic
• Irrigation
• Commercial
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• Industrial 3
 Ground Water Use.
Domestic
Agriculture
Commercial
Industrial .

Uncontrolled Extraction of Ground water By

 Government Organization.
 NGO
 Commercial Enterprise
 Private Sector.

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 Irrigation Projects
Groundwater Improvement
Jaffna lagoon scheme
Valukkai Aru drainage scheme and
Araly barrage
Upparu lagoon scheme, flood
protection bunds and Ariyalai
Barrage.

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Irrigation Projects
River Basins

1. Sooriyan Aru River Basin

2. Chavar Aru River Basin
3. Paladi Aru River Basin
4. Tanikal Aru River Basin
5. Kodallikallu Aru River Basin
7. Pali Aru (Small) River Basin
8. Maruthapitty Aru River Basin
9. Therravillu Aru River Basin
10. Pirapathal Aru River Basin
11. Netheli Aru River Basin
12. Kanagarayan Aru River Basin
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Irrigation Projects

River Basins
13. Kalavalappu Aru River Basin
14. Akkarayan Aru River Basin
15. Mandagal Aru River Basin
16. Pallavarayan Kaddu Aru River
Basin
17. Pali Aru River Basin
18. Paranki Aru River Basin
19. Nay AruRiver Basin
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20. Kallaru River Basin 7
 Status of Water Resources
 Government Investment.
1. Surface Irrigation Facilities.
 Water Resources Augmentation
1. Limited option.
2. Less Technical Feasibility.
3. Less Economic Viability
 Importance of
1. Conservation2. Efficient Management
Available water resource should be
addressed properly.

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 Status of Agriculture Prior to Conflict
 Agriculture sector contributed 50 % of GDP in
NEP
 NEP contributed 23 % GDP of the Country.
33 % of rice
40 % of Dry-Chilly
30 % of Onion
30 % of Livestock
55% of fishing
Produced in NEP
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 Due to the Conflict
• Damaged to Property
• Exodus of farmers and fishermen – leads directly.
• Decline of Investment
• Shrinkage of support services.
leads indirectly.
• Decline in productivity.
• Increased losses in assets.
• Growing unemployment.
• Poverty.
• Social unrest.

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 Consumption of Water Per Person
Per Year – A Global Norm
 Just one cubic meter of water for
drinking
 Some 10 cubic meters of water is
needed for cleaning, bathing, sanitation
and other household uses.
 A further 100 cubic meters of water is
also needed by industry of all kinds
(e.g., factories, power plants, tourist
hotels).
 The largest amount of water is needed
for agriculture – to produce food – 1,000
cubic meters
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 GDP Contributions from Agriculture
sector and Industrial sector from
North to Country

Agriculture 7%
 Paddy only 1-2%

Industry 25 %
 Construction 7%
 Production 18%

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 Development Strategy
AIM
 Utilize the water resource in an economic manner by
practicing effective water management, crop
diversification, micro irrigation and conserve groundwater
for future generation.

 Shift from subsistence agriculture to a commercially

oriented agriculture leading to increase production,
especially of high value of items that would readily find a
market, both domestic and external, promote greater
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employment and incomes and a higher standard of living.

 Development Strategy
 Features
1. To conserve surface water by following strict water
management techniques.

2. To reserve ground water for the future generation by

utilizing at least 35% of the surface water stored in
irrigation schemes for domestic and industrial water
use(Other than Agricultural Use).

3. To stop boring new tube wells and prevent power

(Electric or Kerosene) pumping from existing tube
wells.
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 Development Strategy
 Features- Ctd.

4. To conduct a detail ground water model study to identify

recharge sensitive minor irrigation schemes and make a
policy of forgoing certain portion of cultivation in that
schemes and allow the reserve water to recharge the
ground water.

5. To maximize the utility of rain fall available in the region

by constructing as much as possible detention storage
facilities to recharge the ground water and to store for
other uses without affecting the forest cover.
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 Development Strategy
 Features ctd.

7. To break away from subsistence agriculture and embark on

a programme of commercial agriculture and establish an
agro industrial base in the province.

9. To make use of the available human resources to effect

the required technological and managerial transformation
of the agricultural sector.

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 Conclusion (Policy)
• Owing to the diverse nature of the resources, and
the need to exploit such resources, the
development strategy, even within a single
district, cannot concentrate only on one
particular aspect of agriculture such as crops or
livestock. A holistic, integrated approach is
therefore essential and any plan of development
should integrate crops, livestock, fisheries and
forestry within an area in order to achieve
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maximum gains.
Dr(Eng)S S sivakumar 18
 Development with Forethought Leads
Sustainable Recovery of the Nation

Growth of a Nation Depends on

Effective Economic and Equitable use
of Water

Dr(Eng)S S sivakumar Thank U

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