Coastal regions of Kendrapara and Jagatsinghpur districts of Odisha have been hit by cyclonic storms for more than two decades. These have severely affected the livelihood of the communities living in the region. Ashok Das of Junapangara village is one such farmer who had suffered massive agricultural losses. He owned around two acres of land, including homestead land, with a pond. With a wife, two daughters and a son to support, he gave up agriculture in 2011 and took up the job of a labourer. However, he was always keen to return to his farming roots. 

In 2012, he attended a Gram Paribartan Committee (GPC) meeting organised by the Regional Centre for Development Cooperation (RCDC) at his village. The RCDC had, in February 2011, implemented the “Paribartan” programme, a multi-country initiative on increasing resilience and reducing risks of coastal communities to climate change and natural hazards in the Bay of Bengal. The plan involved both climate change adaptation and disaster risk reduction aspects and hoped to make communities resilient to disasters as well as reduce poverty by introducing climate change flexible livelihood options. RCDC implements the Paribartan project in 84 villages of 8 Gram panchayats of two blocks of two coastal districts of Kendrapara and Jagatsinghpur.

It was at this meeting that he got to know about the Integrated Rice-Fish Culture (IRFC) system of agriculture. 

What is Integrated Rice-Fish Culture?

A rice-fish culture system is an integrated rice field or rice field/pond complex where fish are grown concurrently or alternately with rice. Rice-fish systems allow for the production of fish and other aquatic animals as well as rice from the same rice field area, and generally without causing reductions in rice yields. This source of animal protein also aids household nutrition as well as augments farm income.

The components of IFRC are pisciculture, paddy cultivation, vegetable cultivation, horticultural trees, fuelwood trees and duckery. Any farmer who owns at least 1 acre of land and preferably has a pond in her/his field is eligible for the IRFC project under the Paribartan programme. RCDC will provide the technical and financial support to the interested farmer.

Seeds of change

With technical and financial assistance from RCDC and Central Rice Research Institute (CRRI) through the Gram Paribartan Committee (GPC), Ashok's life has changed. The financial aid paid to Ashok by RCDC was in the part of earthwork, fingerlings, fish feed, fencing material, vermicompost, fruit bearing plants, etc. 

Besides paddy and fish, Ashok also grows a broad range of fruits, vegetables and fuelwood trees. Cashew, guava, orange, cucumber, papaya, coconut, mango, banana, drumstick, jackfruit, mushroom, pumpkin, bamboo, acacia, and karanja are some examples. In 2012, Ashok earned an income of around Rs 1 lakh from his IRFC unit that included the production of fish, paddy, fruits, vegetables, and the sale of organic fertilisers and firewood. The fish component alone provided him Rs.35,000.

“Currently, the entire fish needs of the block are met by imports from Andhra. However, if the farmers of the region take up IRFC seriously, the day is not far off when a variety of local fish will flood the market rendering imports irrelevant", says Ashok. In 2013, despite being hit by Cyclone Phailin, Ashok still earned a sizeable income from his unit. The story would've been quite different if he had only depended on paddy. 

Other advantages of IRFC

Rice-fish farming has many other advantages including the control of weeds, insects and pests resulting in increased rice yield. In the event of a sudden druught, the rainwater harvested in the refuge pond can be used to irrigate the rice and other crops.

The potential for rice-fish farming in the country is high, and there is a need to provide institutional, technical and financial support to poorer farmers to promote the sustainable development of rice-fish farming. Applying the IRFC approach in other parts of the country could prove beneficial to all farmers. 

(Jagannath Chatterjee is a Senior Climate Justice researcher working with RCDC, Bhubaneswar.The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author, and do not necessarily reflect those of India Water Portal.)

In December 2015, more than forty years after it was conceived, the Government was set to launch India’s ambitious 30-link river interlinking project linking 37 rivers. The linking of the ‘surplus’ river Ken through a 231.45-km canal with the ‘deficient’ river Betwa flowing through the states of Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh is purported to irrigate parched farmlands. A 77 metre high Daudhan dam is to be constructed on the Ken with a capacity of 2,953 million cubic metres as a part of the project. The Ken-Betwa project initially mooted in the 1980s was brought out of cold storage during the late 2000s followed by its being challenged in the Supreme Court, which gave its nod in 2013. The larger scheme of interlinking of rivers too cleared a legal hurdle in 2012 when the Supreme Court, disposing of two petitions, asked the government to go ahead.

Work yet to begin

The Ken-Betwa link received a renewed push with a Special Committee set up to monitor its execution in September 2014. A separate Task Force too was constituted by the Ministry of Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation (MoWR) in April 2014 to bring in speedy consensus among states on the link projects. The Union Water Resources Minister Uma Bharti, after the sixth meeting of the Special Committee for interlinking of rivers in September 2015, confirmed that the government is committed to implementing the programme with the consensus and cooperation of concerned state governments.

After a nod from both the states, the Detailed Project Report and other formalities have been completed for the Ken-Betwa link proposed to transfer 591 million cubic meters in the first stage. The revised environment impact assessment (EIA) report was submitted by the National Water Development Agency (NWDA), an agency set up by the Government of India under the Ministry of Water Resources exclusively for developing interlinking rivers proposals. Following the Ministry of Environment and Forests' (MoEF) green nod, the NWDA will petition for its techno-economic clearance. As of now, statutory compliances by way of environment, wildlife and forest clearances are awaited and the construction works on the link has not begun.  

Many advantages

The massive proposal at an all-India level on interlinking of rivers estimated at Rs 5.6 lakh crore 10 years ago, is expected to generate two 78 megawatts of power through two hydroelectric plants and raise the ultimate irrigation potential by 35 million hectares and in general is expected to propel the economy. Officials peg the cost at much more with the final sum being clear only once the detailed reports for all 30 links are complete.

Two major benefits are being put forward to justify the Ken-Betwa project. Costing over Rs 9393 crores at 2007-08 costs, the link is professed to do away with the twin problems of drought in some places and floods in others. Secondly, the generation of power is being touted with optimism. S. Masood Hussain, Director General of the NWDA, is of the opinion that the project is important for the country’s water security. NWDA further claims that the project reports have taken every possible risk into account and incorporated corrective measures. The Ken-Betwa link through its elaborate infrastructure of dams, reservoirs, tunnels and canals is estimated to irrigate about 6.35 lakh ha of land in Panna, Chhattarpur, Tikamgarh districts in Madhya Pradesh, and Banda, Mahoba and Jhansi districts in Uttar Pradesh. Apart from this, the project is expected to provide piped drinking water for 1.34 million people in the two states.

Vague scheme, huge impacts

On the face of it, the project seems to have many advantages but these are neither without qualifications nor automatic. A river is not just water nor is a river link just limited to transferring waters from a river to another. Himanshu Thakkar, South Asia Network on Dams, Rivers and People SANDRP critiques the concept of interlinking of rivers. “Even if an area is flood-prone, it is not necessarily a water-surplus area. You have to look at a whole area, across the whole year, over the years, in the context of ecological and social ground realities”, he says. Attempts to manage river flow “could be potentially disastrous, since rivers aren't a man-made resource and the flow in such artificially networked rivers isn't two-way, i.e. the direction cannot be reversed”, he adds.

What happens to its floodplain and its ecology? What are its downstream impacts especially on the water flow to the existing Rajghat and Matatila dams, which are anyway faced with water shortages? Prof Brij Gopal, former Professor of Environment Sciences, in a talk at India Rivers Week 2014 states that the NWDA study which establishes that the Betwa is a water short basin while Ken is a surplus basin is flawed and that the EIA should not have accepted this assumption in the absence of an assessment of the project’s hydrological viability. The professor had also brought out the fact that the project report has ignored the frequency of drought in the Ken basin while establishing that it has surplus waters to the notice of the panel. "The project has also kept silent on environmental flows to be ensured", says Himanshu Thakkar speaking to India Water Portal.

The EIA of the Ken Betwa link by the Agriculture Finance Corporation of India (now AFC Ltd) was claimed to be unscientific and inadequate on several grounds by SANDRP. The EIA has no section on biodiversity impact assessment even when the project is likely to submerge a substantial part of the Panna Tiger Reserve, destroy the Ken Ghariyal Sanctuary in the downstream area as well as the surrounding forests. Apart from deforestation and loss of livelihoods of the displaced people, the project has downstream impacts especially in view of climate change concerns, according to Parul Gupta, a lawyer. The EIA is devoid of options assessment, hydrological viability assessment and disaster potential assessment. The public hearing held in late December 2014 in Silon village in Chhattarpur district and Hinouta village in Panna district too drew flak because of the numerous violations. The environment impact assessment is weighed down by deficiencies while public hearings for the project were a sham.

Large tracts of Panna tiger reserve to be submerged

The project is expected to submerge 4,141 hectares of the Panna Tiger Reserve, which falls within a 10-km radius. What will be the impact of the fragmentation of habitat owing to this? How will the habitat loss in swathes of the Panna Tiger Reserve be dealt with? Gopal Krishna of Toxics Watch Alliance (TWA) in a letter to the National Board on Wildlife Standing Committee, MoEF, notes that “the current EIA has failed to adequately assess the impact of the project on the Panna Tiger Reserve or the Ken Ghariyal Wildlife Sanctuary." A bureaucrat posted as Field Director, Panna Tiger Reserve who put down his opposition to the Ken Betwa river link project through a detailed dissenting note was transferred for reasons other than wildlife management.

Toxics Watch Alliance has discarded the project proponent’s view that “the ILR projects are green projects and these link projects under ILR Programme have been formulated by exercising all caution and considering all engineering parameters required for the project." The rationale of the Ken Betwa link has also been questioned by Prof. Kanchan Chopra, Economist with the Institute of Economic Growth and Prof. Y K Alagh, former Union Minister.

The Expert Appraisal Committee (EAC) of the MoEF supposed to give a green nod to the Ken Betwa river interlinking project suggested that all aspects of this project in relation to this disturbance to the reserve need to be studied and assessed more carefully. The EAC has noted that the Landscape Management Plan (LSMP) being prepared by Wildlife Institute of India for the mitigation measures to be taken up in the Panna Tiger Reserve and Ghariyal Sanctuary should be reviewed by an external expert. Only then will the EAC reconsider the project for environment clearance. The Madhya Pradesh State Wildlife Board (SWLB) has decided to recommend the proposal to the National Board for Wildlife (NBWL) seeking wildlife clearance.

The government has adopted the project and any turnarounds now are unlikely. Yet, with so many social and environmental concerns emanating from the project, there is a need to assess these impacts and look for cost effective and non-intrusive alternatives before going ahead with an ambitious scheme of this scale.

Ziro Valley, which figures in the tentative list of UNESCO World Heritage Sites as a unique cultural landscape, sits at a height of 5600 feet in Arunachal Pradesh. It is inhabited by the Apatani tribe who are completely confined to the valley. With every aspect of Apatani life deeply connected to the sacredness of their landscape, the traditions and systems of their everyday life and livelihoods carry great lessons on sustainable natural resource management.

Ziro is named after one of the clans that first came to the valley about 500 years ago and have since practiced permanent wet rice cultivation. While the neighbouring tribes practice shifting cultivation, the Apatanis practice a unique system of paddy cum agriculture with an intricate network of canals and channels laid across fields in the entire valley where it is believed that every object in nature is sacred. Keeping that firmly in mind, the entire farming process takes place without the use of any animals or machines. Domestic waste such as rice bran, animal excreta, decomposed straw and remains of burnt straw after the harvest are used to enhance soil fertility and also serve as feed to the fishes. Rituals mark the advent and closure of the cultivation cycle. 

It is noteworthy how the Apatanis share a deep relationship with their land, forests, water and agriculture and use their resources judiciously. It is not just paddy and fish, but every inch of cultivable land is used to its fullest. One can see millets grown on the bunds constructed in between paddy fields. Also, as a single small river irrigates the paddy fields in the entire valley through a network of irrigation channels; the system ensures that the water is given back to the river to irrigate more fields in the valley downstream!

The video tells the full story.

Marathwada, one of the most drought prone areas in Maharashtra, continues to be in the news over the last few months due to the severe agarian crisis that the region has been facing and the very high rates of farmers suicides. In fact, Marathwada has now been referred to as the suicide capital of the country with a steady increase in farmer suicides going as high as 1024 this year.

The study

The paper titled 'Lack of irrigation facilities, drought conditions and farmers suicides in Marathwada region, India' published in the American Journal of Rural Development, presents the findings of a study that explored the causes of death or the factors that led to suicide among farmers in the region by talking to household members of 90 farmers in the area who had committed suicide.

A field surveyor visited each of these houses to collect information about the cause of death as well as information on marital status, occupation, alcohol use and education in the household. The underlying cause of each death was sought by an enhanced form of verbal autopsy, known as the routine, reliable, representative, re-sampled household investigation of mortality with medical evaluation (RHIME).

Data was collected using interview schedule and information on landholding, irrigation facilities supplementary business, choice of crop, seed source, technical facilities availability, sale of the product, indebtedness, monthly income and expenditure, and reasons behind suicides was obtained.

Findings of the study

• 33% of the farmers did not hold any land. This was one of the important reasons that led to poor economy among the farmers.
• Among those who had land, as high as 43% was non-irrigated. Most of the suicidal cases were reported among non-irrigated land owners/regions because lack of water had a severe impact on agricultural production, leading to loss of crops and low annual income levels.
• Farmers were thus forced to take loans for their daily household expenses and other needs. Maximum loans were taken by the farmers to take care of their agricultural expenses followed by their daughter's marriages.
• A high percentage of farmers (57%)  were unable to repay their loans. The low land holders could not repay their loans and therefore could not seek additional loans from the same banks or other banks from the region, and were forced to seek loans from private illegal sources. The interest rate of non-bank loans was found to be very high (24% to 60% per annum) as compared to government acquired banks (crop loans at 4% per annum) and the farmers were found to be caught in the cyclical web of loans from where there was no way out thus leading to depression and suicide.

The paper ends by making some recommendations to prevent this situation among farmers that includes:

• Improving literacy levels among farmers
• Providing medical facilities to provide support and counselling services to vulnerable farmers
• Controlling expenditures incurred on rituals, festivals and marriages
• Making available technical and financial support for agricultural production
• Introducing a national level water management policy for available sources of water for crop production, restrictions and control on the share of available water supply for each farmer in the region, preventing excessive use of water and development of a crop plan based on water availability
• Developing a national level budget for agriculture and focusing on production enhancement with minimum expenditure
• Ensuring self-reliance and capacity building among farmers in modern farming techniques
• Establishing a monitoring and support system for vulnerable farmers and a transparent, village-level system for disbursement of relief packages.

Aiming for an outcome-oriented programme, Government sets ambitious targets for MGNREGS

The Rural Development Ministry is all set to add 1 million farm ponds and wells and another million vermi composting farms in the next two years under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Generation Scheme (MGNREGS). The target is as much as the earlier Government had achieved in the past one decade under the same scheme. With an aim to make the programme outcome-oriented, the Ministry plans to achieve breakthroughs in irrigation for rain-fed areas and also improve groundwater recharge.  

Environment and Water Ministry at crossroads over dams on the Ganga

The Union Water Minister, Uma Bharti, has objected to the conditional clearance given to the five new dams on the Ganga's tributaries in Uttarakhand. However, the Environment Ministry has presented the 1916 pact as the basis of its decision. The former has also questioned the Environment Ministry for setting a policy benchmark for how much water should be allowed as minimum flow in the Ganga and its tributaries, as this was a decision that had to be taken jointly by the two Ministries.

Government decentralises process of green nod for sustainable sand mining

The Environment Ministry has created the District Environment Impact Assessment Authority (DEIAA) with an aim to decentralise the process of environment clearance of mining sand and minor minerals. Along with this, the Ministry has also prepared guidelines for sustainable sand mining in consultation with the State Governments. The Ministry also plans to use information technology tools to monitor the mined out sand from source to destination. 

Government gets strict with sugar industries to combat water pollution

The Environment Ministry has issued stricter environment standards for sugar industries across the country in order to minimise water pollution. Per the new standards, specific wastewater discharge standards have been limited to 200 litres per tonne of cane crushed as against the earlier limit of 400. Along with this, the notified standards also contain a protocol for ‘treated effluent irrigation’ and ‘wastewater conservation and pollution control management’. 

Clearance given to ONGC's Rs 53,000 crore Krishna-Godavari basin infrastructure project

ONGC has been accorded environmental clearance for drilling 45 development wells and other related infrastructure in the Krishna-Godavari basin in Andhra Pradesh. The project worth Rs 53,000 crore, has been subjected to specific and general conditions which includes obtaining Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) clearance and complying with all recommendations and conditions specified by the Andhra Pradesh Coastal Zone Management Authority.

This is a roundup of important policy matters from January 19 - 25, 2016. Also read last week's news roundup. 

Haryana's agriculture sector uses seven lakh tubewells, most of which are connected to the grid as the state has a policy of providing highly subsidised electricity to farmers costing Rs. 6200 crore a year. As a result, groundwater exploitation is rampant. Per data by the Groundwater Department, most districts here have witnessed a critical fall in their groundwater table of 7.29 meters, on average, between 2000 and 2012. This has affected the agricultural productivity and area under crop during low rainfall years. It has also increased the state's energy footprint as farmers are forced to use higher capacity pumps to pump out water.

Since conventional energy sources like thermal energy supplied by the grid are known to emit greenhouse gases leading to climate change, it is but natural that the state is considering shifting its farmers to renewable energy options like solar pumps but Haryana’s attempt to promote this cleaner technology hasn't taken off as well as one would expect. Why? 

Policy flip-flop

The Government of Haryana has tried to adopt renewable sources of energy in the irrigation sector to handle the problem of defaulting on electricity bills as well as line-losses, which have amounted to a whopping Rs 29,362 crore in 2014-15. The state government wants to generate 400 MW of renewable energy by the end of 2016, and 2000 MW of solar energy by 2020. Towards that, a scheme which will provide a subsidy of about Rs 20,000 per kilowatt to farmers is in the offing. A tender process is underway to generate 150 MW solar power and discussions have begun with the central government corporations.

While this recent development shows promise, the state government’s attempt so far has been marred with faulty policy and flawed implementation not suited to the conditions in Haryana.

“Haryana had a policy in place under which generous incentives were provided to farmers for solar pumps for tubewells till just three back under the Jawaharlal Nehru National Solar Mission”, says Banwari Lal, Project Officer, Haryana Renewable Energy Development Agency (HAREDA), Rewari. However, a rollback of some of the incentives took place in 2012 and only 60 percent subsidy is available right now making the last three years a total washout for the solar water pump sector. “Policy uncertainty led to fall in investments in the sector on the one hand while lack of affordability led to poorer uptake of the solar water systems by the farmers”,  Lal says. A long-term policy perspective is the key to upscale the programme.

Lal who hails from Rajasthan is all praise for the way a similar situation was handled there. The 86 percent subsidy on pumps by its Horticulture Department tied to the adoption of drip irrigation and construction of a farm pond (diggis)--though hard to implement--is a far better way to incentivise farmers. The construction of the water storage or farm pond replaces the use of battery, bringing down the costs. No wonder the state today has the biggest state solar-pump program in India.

Costs are a big hurdle

Because of good connectivity to the grid, farmers in Haryana use electric and not diesel pumps since the former are cheaper. The running costs of diesel pumps are higher as a three horse power (HP) pump consumes a litre of diesel an hour. Cheap electricity available through the grid leaves the farmer not much of an incentive to shift from electric to solar powered pumps. “Extending the use of solar pump whose capital costs remain high would require better incentives, faster disbursement of subsidy and promotion of appropriate capacity pumps of at least 7 HP given the falling water tables”, says Ravinder Kumar, Technical Assistant, HAREDA, Gurgaon as he goes through a long pending list of farm connections for solar pumps. “The state should also finance the cost of batteries for power backup, which it is not doing presently”, he says.

Moreover, in Haryana the peak irrigation period for the rabi crop is marked by cloud and fog cover, both of which restrict the use of solar pumps. “Instead of promoting solar pumps individually the government could promote dual systems, where electric or diesel power is used to supplement irrigation. This synergy between various sources of energy would lend some reliability to the system”, says Rameshwar Singh, Project Officer, HAREDA, Gurgaon.

Difficulty in gaining ground where electricity and diesel are cheaper

A 4.6 HP pump priced at around Rs. 5.5 lakhs costs the farmer about Rs. 2.2 lakhs with sixty percent subsidy offered by the Haryana Government. “This is way below the subsidy provided in neighbouring Rajasthan which offers over 85 percent”, Kumar says. As per Tata BP, a manufacturer of solar water pumps, the subsidy offered will “in the long run save money because they eliminate $6 billion in annual farm diesel and electricity subsidies”. Besides, the annual recurring costs are negligible while that for a diesel pump can go up to Rs. 70,000.

“The problem is that even after subsidy, the amount the beneficiary has to pay for a solar pump is pretty high”, says a farmer (name withheld), who had to default on his loan because his income through solar pumps wasn't enough. He feels that the programme is meant for ‘progressive’ farmers growing cash crops.

“The empanelled companies have been providing sub-standard quality solar equipments especially panels to the farmers. The Ministry of New and Renewable Energy should do a far more rigorous testing of these products sent by the empanelled companies before approving them”, the farmer says. HAREDA officials say that the problem lies in the pump capacities that the government is offering as of now. The water tables are low, and farmers need higher capacity pumps for adequate water discharges. “The 4.6 and 6 HP solar water pumps on offer are more suited for drinking and domestic water supply as compared to irrigation” says Ravinder Kumar. 

Confusing stand on solar water pumps 

“HAREDA in collaboration with NABARD and entrepreneurs is working out financing mechanisms to promote solar pumps, especially given that the technology is costly”, says Kuldeep Singh, Assistant Project Officer, HAREDA, Gurgaon. Manufacturers note that the sector needs greater incentives and simplified processes. Lalit Balani of Jain Irrigation Systems, a 6000 crore company, which is an empanelled company of HAREDA says, “The scheme by NABARD for solar water pumps needs to be popularised amongst farmers and even banks, who often do not seem to be aware of it."

As per the NABARD scheme, farmers foot 20 percent of the cost while the loan is available for 80 percent from nationalised banks. Of this, 40 percent is a subsidy from NABARD. Balani notes that the “funding has to be smooth enough for banks to be ready to finance the scheme. The process of release of central and state share of subsidy through HAREDA to the empanelled company needs to be simpler.”

With so many challenges faced by all the players, the government needs to mull over different methods by which the farmers can be weaned from power lines and diesel to cleaner energy. 

Seven ministries other than the Water Ministry to help revive the Ganga

The Water Resources Ministry has signed an MoU with seven Ministries--Human Resources Development, Ayush, Shipping and Tourism, Drinking Water and Rural Development, Railways, and Youth Affairs--to carry forward multi-sectoral activities related to Ganga rejuvenation for a minimum of three years. Along with this, the Government has also decided to rope in village panchayats in the Clean Ganga Mission and has aimed to make 1,600 villages along the river filth-free in the next six months using the four-pronged programme. The Ministry has also shown its strong will to ensure a minimum ecological flow for the revival of the river. 

10th anniversary of MGNREGA

The Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS) completed 10 years on February 2, 2016. The scheme, which legally guaranteed at least 100 days of unskilled labour to every rural household, was launched by the former Congress-led UPA Government. Till date Rs 3,13,844.55 crore has been incurred on the programme since it was started. The scheme has also helped the country in managing its natural resources but was last year called a 'monument of failure' by the Prime Minister. However, the Government is all geared up to restructure the scheme and enhance it in 2,569 backward blocks.

Drinking Water and Sanitation Department gets new Secretary

The Government has appointed the World Bank's Water and Sanitation Specialist Parameshwaran Iyer as the new Secretary of the Drinking Water and Sanitation Department. Iyer will also head the Swachh Bharat Mission for two years and is expected to create more synergy between the mission and the objectives of the World Bank project. He is the man behind the framework of the $1,500 million proposed loan from the World Bank for the Swach Bharat Mission which is pending Cabinet approval. 

Draft notification on river regulation zones is out

In the backdrop of flooding in the Kashmir valley and Chennai, the Environment Ministry has issued a draft notification on river regulation zones. The proposed zones will be under the ambit of the Environment Protection Act, 1986 and have divided the river stretches into three categories: floodplain rivers, seasonal rivers and mountain rivers/hill streams. Also, three kinds of river regulation zones to mark out the limits where development activities will be banned or restricted have been suggested in the draft. 

NGT dismisses petition seeking stay on Statue of Unity

The National Green Tribunal has dismissed a petition that sought a stay on the construction of the Statue of Unity at river island Sadhu Bet near the Narmada Dam. The petitioner had claimed that the project was initiated without receiving a green nod and is going to impact the Narmada basin and burden the tectonic fault line in the river. The NGT dismissed the petiton on the ground of limitation--the petitioners approached NGT in March 2015, six months after the Gujarat Government handed over the work order-- and left it open to appeal in other competent courts. 

Rs 780 crore sanctioned to Gujarat to improve irrigation facilities in Saurashtra region

Under the Rural Infrastructure Development Fund (RIDF), National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) has sanctioned a Rs 790.80 crore loan to Gujarat Government for improving irrigation facilities in the water-scarce Saurashtra region. The project, which will provide irrigation for an additional 302,742 hectares, involves the enhancement of three existing pumping stations on the Saurashtra branch canal of the Sardar Sarovar Project at Dhanki, Adalsar and Bala village of Surendranagar district.  

Bombay HC gets strict with Maharashtra Government 

The Bombay High Court has questioned the Maharashtra government over its decision to scrap the river regulation zone policy. In order to regulate industrial activity near rivers, the Government last year scrapped the river policy, which provided a buffer zone of two kilometres of high flood lines on either side of river basins that are to be treated as no-development zones. Also, the High Court rapped the Maharashtra Water Resources Regulatory Authority for failing to ensure equitable distribution of water in the State. 

No cancellation of green nod to Renuka Dam: NGT

Considering the national importance of the 40 MW Renuka hydel project in Himachal Pradesh and the amount of money already spent on it, the National Green Tribunal has refused to cancel the environmental clearance granted to the project. Along with this, the panel also declined the State Government's request to stall the land acquisition proceedings for the dam. However, NGT has set up a panel to look into the resettlement and rehabilitation policy for villagers displaced due to the project and to ensure that the dam does not cause any adverse and irreversible impact on the ecology and environment. 

This is a roundup of important policy matters from January 26 - February 8, 2016. Also read last week's news roundup. 

Activists stand against three proposed projects near Konkan coastline

Recently, the Maharashtra Government has announced three projects--a port which will also include a thermal power plant among other industries, the 9,900-MW Jaitapur nuclear power plant and one of the biggest oil refineries in the world-- in the ecologically-rich Konkan coastline. The projects are within a 50 km radius, and per environmentalists these projects will do more harm than good as they will have adverse impact on marine life in the region. Environmental scientist, Dr Madhav Gadgil, has suggested that doing individual analyses of these project will not help in understanding their adverse impacts, and an integrated study is a must. 

Government unveils list of 20 cities to be developed as Smart Cities

Last week, the Ministry of Urban Development had announced 20 cities that will be turned into Smart Cities. Bhubnashewar emerged at the top followed by Pune, Ahmedabad, Kochi and NDMC. Under the Smart Cities Programme (which sounds like a technology-driven programme), the Government has assured the provision of basic facilities-- electricity and water supply, sanitation, efficient public transport, security, health and education-- to the public, as after 69 years of independence the citizens of India are still struggling for these. 

Chennai floods: Poor drainage systems and dam overflow are to be blamed

Per an analysis of the Union Ministry of Earth Sciences, the severe flooding in Chennai was not caused only by the excessive rains alone, but also by the poor drainage system in the city and dam overflow. The study has also pointed out that the flooding could have been avoided if the disaster response of Tamil Nadu was quicker. Moreover, the flooding occurred despite the State and local authorities receiving three days advance warnings for excess rainfall and placing emergency planning response actions. 

Government to approach overseas banks to raise Rs 86,000 crore funds for irrigation projects

As the country suffers cut in crop output due to two consecutive years of deficient rains, the Government plans to borrow Rs 86,000 crore from overseas banks to fund its irrigation projects. To help add 1.3 crore hectares of irrigated farmland, the Government may approach the World Bank, Asian Development Bank and state-owned overseas banks for loans with tenures of as much as 25 years. With these loans, the Government is aiming to make the country drought-proof in the next 10 years. 

Jharkhand's waterman wins accolade for his contribution to water conservation

The Government has presented the Padma Shri award to Simon Oraon, better known as Jharkhand's waterman, for his contribution to environment conservation. Oraon is now 83 but started his battle against drought at the age of 28. His efforts to tap rainwater by digging wells, dug wells and ponds has led to Bedo block becoming the agricultural hub of Jharkhand. Apart from launching a massive tree plantation drive, Oraon has taught the art of environment conservation to residents of 51 villages. Till date he plants at least 1,000 saplings every year. 

No pollution in Arunachal's rivers: CGWB, CWC

Per an investigation by the Central Ground Water Board (CGWB) and Central Water Commission (CWC), the major rivers in Arunachal Pradesh are free from pollution and there is no major water quality issue in the state except for localised occurrences of iron. Also, the groundwater is of excellent quality with all the parameters within permissible limits. However, with rapid urbanisation and increasing population in the State, this situation might change in the near future.  

Andhra Government releases Rs 55 crore to seven Polavaram-affected villages

Under the Relief & Rehabilitation (R&R) package, the State Government has released a sum of Rs 55 crore to the people of seven villages of East Godavari district coming under the Polavaram Irrigation project area. The Government is firm on the project and is all set to speed up the process of its construction. The multi-purpose project is  likely to displace over 1.88 lakh people across 222 villages and so far, 1,730 persons in six villages have been rehabilitated. 

YES Bank commits to set up water purification systems at 1,000 railway stations

With an aim to make safe and clean drinking water accessible to everyone, YES Bank has committed to the Indian Railways to set up community water purification systems at 1,000 railway stations across India over the next three years. The initiative will only focus on the ‘D’ and ‘E’ category railway stations (those with lower footfals and lesser earnings). The first phase will aim to provide access to safe and clean drinking water at 100 railway stations of these categories, primarily in the Konkan region.

This is a roundup of important news updates from January 26 - February 8, 2016. Also read last week's policy matters update.

Dear Sir 

I wish to have a drip irrigation system installed in my agriculture land. Kindly guide me how and where I can get govt assistance in this matter.

Thanks

Harichandran

Karanataka records failure of winter crops, seeks Rs 1,417 crore Central assistance 

With a Rs 7,209 crore worth damage to its rabi crops, Karnataka has become the first state in the country to witness a loss in its winter harvest. The State has sought financial assistance of Rs 1,417 from the Centre. This year's unusually dry and warm winter has also raised fear of crop failure in Maharashtra and Uttar Pradesh. A failed rabi crop  will mean the fourth consecutive crop failure for Indian farmers along with two failed kharif crops in 2014 and 2015.

Coca Cola shuts its bottling plants in Rajasthan, Meghalaya, Andhra Pradesh 

Coca-Cola has suspended three of its bottling plants in Rajasthan, Meghalaya and Andhra Pradesh. The shutting down of the Rajasthan plant is due to depleting groundwater levels in the region which has led to more than a decade of agitation by farmers. However, per the claims of the company, water was not as much an issue for the two other plants as much as rationalising of capacity and economic viability were.   

New action plan proposes no mining and big irrigation projects in wildlife corridors

The Environment Ministry has drafted the new National Wildlife Action Plan which has been put in the public domain to invite comments and suggestions. The new plan has proposed to restrict all mining activities and big irrigation projects in all protected areas and wildlife corridors. Once approved, the plan would be in effect for the period 2017 to 2031 and replace the existing National Wildlife Action Plan 2002.

Experts say that climate change issues were totally ignored while deciding green nod to Ken-Betwa river link

Per experts, environmental clearance for the Ken-Bewa river link project is being pushed while ignoring its impact to global warming and climate change. Although the project will submerge only 89 sq km of forest of the Panna Tiger Reserve, its impact will be experienced in a 200 sq km area of the forest. Experts have also mentioned that rather than the riverlinking project that will incur huge costs, alternatives of tanks and farm ponds will be far more effective.

IMD to issue weather forecasts at the block level along with summer forecast

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) will begin to issue weather forecasts at the block level later this year. The block level forecasts will help the farmers understand the potentially anomalous weather in their localities three to five days ahead. Currently, the IMD issues such short-term forecasts in 100 districts across states and so-called agro-climatic zones. Along with this, the IMD is also planning to bring out summer forecasts for April, May and June which will be of much help to power companies, several service-sector industries and state planners. 

This is a roundup of important news updates from February 9 - 15, 2016. Also read last week's policy matters update.

The East Coast of India is very much unlike its western counterpart both in terms of physiography and climatology. Unlike the West Coast which receives a predictable amount of rainfall within a predictable time frame, the East Coast is entirely dependent on the depressions in the Bay of Bengal to bring in the much needed rain. Due to the absence of a set pattern and the erratic nature of rainfall, the engineers of ancient times came up with a fool-proof solution – constructing tanks to hold the water.

Called Eris in Tamil, these large man-made tanks have an inlet to receive water either from a river or from another eri above on one side, and a semi-circular earthen bund on the other. Two types of eris exist--the system eris that are fed by a river or a stream and the non-system eris which are stand-alone structures entirely dependent on rainfall. Hundreds of these mammoth tanks were constructed to deal with the vagaries of depressions and the retreating monsoons all along the East of the Indian Peninsula covering modern day states such as Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu and the Union territory of Puducherry. 

While some of these ancient tanks have gone missing over the decades, the erstwhile French administration and the UT governments that followed in Puducherry took great interest in preserving these heritage systems. As a result, 84 of the 87 irrigation tanks are functional even today. 

More than irrigation systems

There is a common misconception that eris are mainly used for irrigating agricultural fields; nothing could be further from the truth. While irrigating agricultural fields is one of the many functions of an eri, it provides a host of other ecological and spiritual services. 

“If eris were designed only for irrigation, it makes no sense that structures spanning kilometres were constructed thousand years ago to irrigate hundreds of acres of farmlands. The demographics of the time would just not require such massive structures to feed their fields. The engineers of the time planned for much more than just irrigation”, says Raghunath Menon, Secretary of the Pondicherry Science Forum. "Paddy does require a lot of water, but this was a rather recent introduction to the agro-ecology of the region. The traditional millet varieties which were the mainstay hundreds of years ago required very little water, so why these huge structures?", he asks.  

Eris are designed to hold water throughout the year, thereby aiding in natural groundwater recharge. When the levels are high, the water is used to irrigate fields. The water is drained by gravity, and hence most of the eris have a dead storage that remains intact throughout the year. Fish culture is one of the main income generating activities with auction prices running into lakhs for many of the bigger tanks.

The eri at Bahour

The Bahour eri is usually auctioned out for around Rs. 30-35 lakhs per year, with revenue generation usually running into crores of Rupees. In addition, tamarind trees along the bunds are also leased out, and the revenue is shared between the Commune Panchayat and the tank associations. The presence of water all year round also attracts many winged visitors to these areas, with Utchimedu thaangal in Bahour drawing thousands of migratory as well as resident birds. 

Eris serve as one of the most effective flood and soil-erosion control systems, arresting rain water from gushing out at break-neck speed along with fine top soil. “If not for the eris and their bunds, many of the coastal settlements would have disappeared long ago”, says Menon. They also serve as reservoirs for the silt brought down by the water flowing through mud channels, a rich source of raw material for potters as well as manure for fields nearby.

When an eri fills up, the excess water exits the system through the surplus weir into another tank at a lower gradient. This way, the water is guided and released in a calculated manner, preventing it from washing away entire villages and fields. However, in order to be effective flood control devices, eris need to be desilted and bunds need to be strengthened periodically. 

65 tanks restored in 5 years under the Tank Rehabilitation Project

The Puducherry government got its act together and designed a special programme in association with the European Union to save its remaining tanks. The Tank Rehabilitation Project initiated in 1999-2000 had to battle two demons: prevent salt water from intruding into the coasts and save the heritage tanks from disappearing into oblivion. Tank associations were formed and repair works were initiated.

As one of the first tanks chosen to be rehabilitated, the Keezhparikalpet tank in Bahour was an experiment ground of sorts where an unusual foreshore bund was constructed to prevent flooding of fields nearby in addition to constructing a new bund on the southern end. The Manapet tank was de-silted and deepened while elsewhere, bunds were heightened to increase the storage capacity of the eris. Within a span of five years, over 65 tanks were restored. This probably explains why villages in Puducherry escaped the flood fury in December 2015 while its effects on the neighbouring district of Cuddalore were rather caustic.

From being flood controllers to groundwater recharge structures and bio-diversity hotspots, the fact that eris play a vital role in managing the micro-climate of the villages around them is beyond dispute. After having managed to survive the Pallavas, Cholas and the French, the eris of Puducherry now battle a bigger demon: urbanisation.

Land use changes as a result of the past decade’s rapid urban sprawl threatens the very existence of these centuries-old tanks. Encroachments threatening the Kirumambakkam tank close by make local headlines on a fortnightly basis. Dumping of bio-medical and solid waste along the tank bunds and water channels is a huge cause of concern.

Government agencies need to embrace a participatory approach involving local villagers and farmers in preserving these tanks from further damage. One way to do this would be to re-start the abruptly shelved Tank Rehabilitation Project, responsible for breathing life into several tanks in the region.

‘All for Water for All’ collective, working to protect water bodies in the Pondicherry-Auroville-Villupuram-Cuddalore (PAVC) bioregion, has embarked on a journey to celebrate man’s connection with water through a series of events involving local school children and villagers. Spread across seven weeks starting on World Wetland Day (February 2) and culminating on World Water Day (March 22), the Water Festival travels to different locations in the PAVC bioregion. 

The coastal district of Puri in Odisha is infested with water hyacinth. In 1982, 10 million people and 3 million hectares of agricultural land was affected by floods causing the water hyacinth to increase to such an extent that it has affected the lives and livelihood of communities for almost three decades.

“The uncontrolled growth of water hyacinth has made our lives miserable. We did our best to clean up our ponds and water sources, but it kept growing. When we take it out and dump it, it rots. If we allow it to grow, it renders our water resources unusable and becomes a resting place for snakes and numerous insects”, says Jagabandhu Biswal, a resident of Dahana village of Madhuban Gram Panchayat. Not only this but the water hyacinth also clogs agricultural canals, affects farming systems and attracts birds which feed on the insects and also on the paddy grains. 

The livelihoods of marginalised people in coastal Odisha are often constrained by 7-8 months of water stagnation due to floods. To solve the problem due to water hyacinth, the Regional Centre for Development Cooperation (RCDC) team consulted Ardhendu Sekhar Chatterjee, noted sustainable agriculture proponent, who suggested initiating the floating garden concept in the region. 

What is a floating garden?

Floating gardens--a concept which is not new to India thanks to Srinagar's Dal Lake--are farms made on water bodies. Bamboo beds with an average size of 20ft x 5ft x 1ft are constructed and floated on the water bodies. At the bottom of the bed surface, dried water hyacinth is intertwined to form a mesh. On this mesh, a 4-inch layer mixture of silt and chopped water hyacinth leaves is made. Above this is a 5-inch layer of a mixture of silt, vermicompost and farm yard manure. The top most layer is packed with a 3-inch mixture of dry leaves of leguminous plants, soil and silt.  

Impacts of the floating garden system

Jharendra Maharana of Dahana village lost his lands due to floods. In order to support his wife Lakshmi, two sons aged 17 and 19 and his parents, he now works as a carpenter and earns around Rs. 7000 per month. Even this isn't enough and his expenses often overshoot his income. Lakshmi is an active woman in her mid-thirties and once took part in the Gram Prayas Committee (GPC) meetings constituted by RCDC. In the meeting, RCDC officials showed a documentary on the floating garden concept and discussed its advantages.

Lakshmi wanted to support her family, and so contacted the RCDC staff for technical assistance.“I was delighted to learn that I could produce food without having to worry about land”, she says. So she attended two do-it-yourself training sessions organised by RCDC in the village itself on designing and setting up a floating garden. The prospect of cultivating on a common water body was appealing especially when water hyacinth infestation covered the water bodies.

She started the first floating garden unit in May 2013 for which she received an initial support of Rs. 2000 from RCDC. Her first harvest included two types of greens, koshala and palanga (two kinds of local vegetables) and her family consumed it for around 45 days by resorting to staggered harvesting.

"After planting the above vegetables, we planted khada, saga and tomato, and other plants for local consumption. For two months we did not purchase any vegetables from outside. We also got an opportunity to sell the compost to other farmers after the second harvest", says Lakshmi.

The idea is to grow greens, spices, and leafy vegetables for daily consumption to fulfill the nutritional need of the family. For better nutrition management, plantation is preferred on a rotational basis. "Our expenses on vegetables have reduced substantially. Now we can also save some money for ourselves. Next time I will go in for more beds and cultivate vegetables that I can also sell," says Lakshmi in a jubilant mood.

Floating farms can help the landless poor to eke out a living during floods and also reduce food insecurity. The government must look into setting up schemes to support this initiative. 

The Ujjain Simhastha (Kumbh Mela) in Madhya Pradesh will begin on April 22, 2016 and go on for a month. The event, held once every 12 years, holds religious significance to Hindus, and throngs of people--approximately 5 crore over the month--take a holy dip in the Kshipra river during this time. "On the occasion of first Shahi Snana on April 22, up to 1.5 crore pilgrims will come over the 24-hour period,” says Commissioner Pastor. Managing this mass is a herculean task for the Ujjain administration and the MP government. 

"For organising Simhastha 2016, the Madhya Pradesh government has acquired 3000 hectares of land and also allocated Rs. 3000 crore for the infrastructure development work", says Diwakar Natu, Chairman of Simhastha Fair Authority. 

This event holds significance of a different kind for the thousands of labourers and farmers at Ujjain, as well as the environment in and around the Kshipra river.

View photos of Ujjain before Simhastha 2016.

It was 1961. Simon Oraon, a Class IV school drop-out began his journey against drought in Bedo, a tribal block of Ranchi, Jharkhand. An idealistic young man, he along with his fellow villagers began constructing earthen dams to capture rainwater for recharging groundwater. This along with his broader work on self-initiated environmental and forest protection systems provided a tipping point that rejuvenated the forests and brought the wells and surface water bodies back to life. Some works lasted while others did not but Simon, locally known as “Baba” (father) did not lose heart and was unrelenting. To Simon Oraon’s credit his achievements on the ground on village development have impressed many. An octogenarian now he will be awarded this year’s prestigious Padma Shri award for his contribution to environment conservation.

Bedo, spread over 20 panchayats is dominated by the Munda and Oraon tribes. Situated around 35 kms from Ranchi, a small village Khaksitoli, to which Simon Oraon belongs, is home to the Oraon tribe. People here depended on their small landholdings and the nearby forests for a living. The area receives a moderate rainfall of 1370 mm annually on an average, mostly during the monsoon months from June to September. Water scarcity causes the soil to dry out during the rest of the year leading to soil erosion. Agriculture gets affected, shoving the community into utter poverty, which in turn led people to depend on fuelwood selling as the lone option for a living. Local contractors colluded and carried out illegal fuelwood extraction and carted timber out of the area leading to massive forest degradation. As a result the small streams of the area dried up leading to an increased incidence of droughts.

Simon Oraon has done commendable development work in the area like road making and construction of water harvesting structures apart from playing a tremendous role in the regeneration of the forest in the area.  

Managing water resources

After dealing with a lot of administrative footdragging, Simon managed to get some earthen check dams constructed in the villages for harvesting rainwater, which was then followed by a concrete dam for irrigation purposes. Dug wells were constructed and soon the work took the shape of a movement against drought and for environment conservation that spread to 51 villages. Simon traced the origin of streams and mapped the area’s contours with the help of fellow villagers. People took up shovels and banded together to build and maintain water harvesting systems. The harvested water was directed to the fields through channels. They started using the water within bounds and conserved it.

The groundwater tables rose, with the result that the barren lands were cropped and more than one crop began to be cultivated in the one-time single cropped area, mostly paddy. Vegetables are grown the year round now. The area today happens to be the state’s agricultural hub and supplies nearly 20,000 metric tonnes of vegetables a month to various districts in Jharkhand, Bihar, Odisha and West Bengal. Apart from the economic turnaround for the local community there was an ecological spin for the area too. With the water came an enhanced life for Bedo’s people. Over fifty villages in Bedo are now following Khaksitoli’s pattern.

Forest protection

Community institutions extended to other shared resources especially forests, which was tied to water inherently. To put a stop to forest degradation in the area, Simon Oraon, the Parha Raja (head of the traditional village council) used his influence among the people and led the formation of Village Forest Protection Committees in the late 1960s. At a time when the influence of the traditional institutions had declined, he harnessed the tradition of communal labor and got the people together. Representatives of some 20 villages attended a meeting called by him. The total forest area of 179 acres in these villages was demarcated for protection by three local committees formed in villages Jamtoli, Khaksitoli and Berotoli. It was Simon who played a leading role in putting a stop to forest degradation by collecting the local community to act synergistically. Thousand of trees were planted and wastelands brought under cultivation.

Bhattacharya and Mittra in an effort to understand the historical and contemporary features of the self initiated forest protection systems in India note that “The village Khaksitoli was amongst the first village in the area to lead the movement against forest degradation… The three Self Initiated Forest Protection Groups have been in existence long before Joint Forest Management was even heard of and are functioning effectively till date.” Households contribute paddy for the forest guards on an annual basis. Contractors were chased and plunder of the forests not allowed. In Khaksitoli in particular the rules are followed by the book and those found trespassing them are cautioned and punished.  

The authors extol the strong institutional arrangement at Khaksitoli, all done without the influence of state custodial management and state that the group “does not merely perform its role in forest protection but is involved in a whole lot of other activities related to the development of the village like construction of water harvesting structures, soil and water conservation measures and resolving inter and intra village conflicts etc.”

The non timber forest products which were mostly collected and traded by women in Bedo helped them make up for the cash needs. In the absence of lack of formal property rights over both timber and non timber forest produce, the institutions created by Simon helped set rules for extracting the resources in a sustainable manner and restrict overuse. With Simon’s effective leadership the processes were institutionalized. Meetings are held regularly and those found deviating from the norms taken to task.

And with this the downward spiral of resources that took place in the 1960s was reversed and has been sustained so far. With the revival of water and forests a surge of productive forces were reborn in the villages providing people hope for the future.

Agriculture, rural development and social sector is the focus of Budget 2016

In the Union Budget 2016, the Government has allocated Rs 35,984 crore for agriculture and farmer welfare, and plans to double the income of farmers by 2022. In addition, to increase the agricultural production and productivity, the Government plans to strengthen the Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sichai Yojana and will implement it in mission mode. Also, 28.5 lakh hectares will be brought under irrigation under this scheme. Laying down the road map for rural development in the Union Budget, Rs 38,500 crore has been allocated towards MGNREGA in 2016-17. This allocation has been increased by over Rs 3,800 crore this year. This will be the highest budget spend on MGNREGA if the total amount is spent. 

Jat agitation brings Delhi's water crisis to the forefront

Post the destruction of the Munak canal in Haryana--which supplies water to the capital--during the Jat stir, the Supreme Court has ordered both the Governments to resolve the water dispute at the earliest. Last week, the agitators had damaged the 150 km stretch of the canal and the Haryana Government deployed the army to protect the same. It seemed that it will take almost 15 days to restore the water supply to the capital. However, water supply in some parts of Delhi has been restored. Following the incident, the Delhi Government has ordered the Jal Board to prepare a backup plan for alternate sources of water in order to avoid such a crisis in the future. Also, per experts, the capital has the potential to overcome such crises if it revives its wetlands and put its own reservoirs to use. 

NGT pulls up DJB over Yamuna expenditure

The National Green Tribunal has reprimanded the Delhi Jal Board for spending Rs 576 crore in the current financial year on Yamuna cleaning projects which is in contradiction to the former's earlier orders.  DJB's affidavit detailing the expenditure has been deemed insufficient, inadequate and vague by the Tribunal. Last November, when the NGT learnt that nearly Rs 900 crore was spent on Yamuna cleaning, it ordered the DJB not to spend any more money without approval due to limitation of finances. However, despite the orders, the latter had paid out to projects related to sewage networks and establishment of sewage treatment plants. 

Maharashtra eases green nod process for sand mining

While relaxing the environmental clearance process for sand mining, the Maharashtra Government will be handing over the responsibility of granting clearances to the district administration for areas up to five hectares. Though the Government calls it an effort to decentralise and speed up the process, activists fear that the decision will benefit the sand mafia and do no good for the State. Along with this, the Government has also announced a list of people who would not require environment clearance for mining sand and clay from the river beds like potters, tile makers and gram panchayats.

Odisha Government mulls compensatory irrigation for industries

The Odisha Government has proposed a concept of ‘compensatory irrigation’ asking industries to create irrigation area twice the loss of such land. The guideline proposes for an extension of the canal system if the compensatory irrigation will be created in the same project area, else the project proponent will bear the cost of creating the ayacut through lift irrigation. However, per activists, the guideline will make it easy for industries wanting to acquire irrigated land. Also, diverting the irrigated land would worsen the water crisis in the State which is already reeling under drought.

This is a roundup of important policy matters from February 22 - 29, 2016. Also read last week's news roundup.

Water logging has been a persistent problem for farmers in the coastal areas of Puri, Odisha. Construction of national highways has affected the natural water drainage system and has changed the lands of thousands of farmers since 1980. Nobody noticed that the Ratnachira river and other natural canals that led to the Chilika Lake were also torn apart in the process of constructing roads.

“Before 1984, the people of my village were happy. There was food to eat, safe water to drink, plenty of fish in the rivers and enough milk to go around from the cows we kept. But after the government constructed an irrigation canal in the area, the economic condition of the villagers deteriorated, and the entire area was  waterlogged leading to agriculture going for a toss”, says Jagabandhu Biswal, a 60-year-old resident of Mauza in Madhuban Gram Panchayat, Puri.

In the last two decades, illegal construction works in critical areas of the Ratnachira has affected water availability for the farmers. The irrigation canal did not provide water when farmers in the area needed it. However, water would suddenly come in when the farmers were ready to harvest their crop. A flood-like situation has severely affected crop production. However, matters continued to worsen as people started constructing buildings in the river basin area, violating all rules.

“The flood of 1982 brought in water hyacinth that has stayed with us and grown ever since. The Super Cyclone of 1999 destroyed all our coconut trees and spread a disease that still affects our coconuts. Life became miserable and we abandoned agriculture altogether. Our village became an island in a river”, says Rabindra Swain, a 68-year old farmer from Dahana village.

“Before 1980, Mauza had 2500 acres of fertile agricultural land but in just two decades, agricultural production declined to such an extent that most of the farmers in the area were struggling for their survival. The two canals made by the government had filled with silt and were heavily infested with water hyacinth. People had even forgotten where the channels began and where they ended,” says Pratap Panda, Programme Manager with Regional Centre for Development Cooperation (RCDC).

In 2014, RCDC in collaboration SWAD, through a project named “Prayas” helped the villagers of Mauza and Dahana in Puri by providing financial and technical support for cleaning the irrigation canals.

Prayas is a Hindi word which means "effort". The objective of the project was to reduce people’s distress from natural disaster, primarily arising out of flooding and climate change; and improve socio-economic and environmental security through integrated community-led efforts in disaster-prone Puri.

The cost of the project was Rs.31,82,948, which was funded by AusAid and UNDP. The project, which ran for 16 months from Dec 2011 to March 2013, was implemented in Madhuban and Sukal Gram Panchayats of Satyabadi Block in Puri. 

Project components

• Preparation of Community Action Plan (CAP) to enhance climate resilience capacity (Issues & Remedial Actions)
• Pilot livelihood initiatives to provide resilient solutions
• Pond-based rainwater harvesting structure with an elaborate filtration system supplying safe piped drinking water to two villages
• Introduction of integrated farming (paddy cultivation (line sowing) + vegetable farming) and encouraging use of flood reslient indigenous paddy varieties.
• Introduction of pond based pisciculture cum vegetable farming (polyculture)
• Innovative concept of homestead gardening for waterlogged conditions using water hyacinth as manure introduced for adaptation
• Renovation of an agricultural channel. The Khabar Nala was renovated with community support which removed water logging and could bring 2100 acres under cultivation against the earlier 700 acres.

With the help of village elders, the expert team appointed by ‘Prayas’ surveyed the area and traced the meandering route of the canals. The first canal was slightly more than 1 km long, started at Khalashi muhana and ended at Adheimana. The second was longer, a little more than three km long, starting at Kumuti muhana and ending at Baismana. After the tracing of the route, the villagers took it upon themselves to clean the canals, both by excavating the silt and removing the water hyacinth.

“After the implementation of the Prayas project, it was like a dam being opened. The water rushed out with tremendous force, and suddenly the stagnant water vanished”, says Rabindranath.

People started considering taking up agriculture once again. It was not easy after a 32-year hiatus. The losses suffered all these years were still heavy on the villagers minds. However, people started returning to their fields. The farmers began planting horticultural trees and vegetables on the raised bunds of the canals. The villagers economic condition once again started improving and boosted their confidence.

“Now around 1200 acres of farmland in the area is ready for the next crop of paddy. If things go well this season, we will irrigate all 2500 acres next year. Who knows, our children who have migrated may return once again. A good income this year would only mean that we will be able to start repaying our debts. We have a long way to go to before we can see profits coming our way”, says Rabindranath with glittering eyes.

Chirimiri Coalfield is a part of Central India Coalfields, located in Koriya district, Chhattisgarh. It is spread over 125 square kilometres with estimated total reserves of around 312.11 million tonnes. In the last 70 years, more than 250 springs that used to be the primary sources of drinking water for the people of Chirimiri have gone dry due to continuous coal mining. Blasting and drilling around the coal mines have severely affected the movement of water in the underground aquifers, which in turn have impacted the flow of water in the springs. Aquifers take thousands of years to form but are destroyed in mere minutes causing the springs also to die or become polluted. 

The CMC procures water from the Surbhoka dam near Chirimiri but has not been able to supply water on a daily basis as per CPHEEO norms. "The water supplied by Chirimiri Municipal Corporation (CMC) is not treated properly. Due to water contamination, typhoid cases are are on the rise", says Dr. Jayant Kumar Yadav, Medical Officer, Chirimiri Community Health Centre. 

"With the expansion to coal mining in the area in the last 6-7 decades, there is a threat to the existing springs. 20 springs out of 300 have died every 10 years or so. Now, the number of springs in Chirimiri has reduced to 30", says Girish Kumar, senior researcher and resident of Chirimiri. These 30 springs still cater to the drinking water needs of 70-80 percent of Chirimiri's population and are still the first choice of the people but if they die, then it will lead to acute water crises as well as destroy livelihoods.

The demand for spring water in Chirimiri has increased in the last one decade as the people prefer it over the water supplied by the CMC. While the spring water is free, most residents don't want to take the pain of walking to a hilly area to bring water back. Instead, they pay people who can do this for them. Thus, the spring water provides a livelihood to more than 100 families. 

"India is a seriously water-stressed nation and is faced with the prospect of becoming the planet’s most populous country by 2050, with an estimated population of 1.6 billion, while only having 4 percent of the world’s water resources," says a Greenpeace report. It also says, "Coal mining, especially open-cast mining, is responsible for complete environmental destruction, and has huge impacts on local water resources; groundwater needs to be pumped out of the ground, forests needs to be cut down and fertile top soil are removed in order to access the coal; and in the process destroying valuable underground aquifers, streams and rivers." 

The film titled "The Dying Springs of Chirimiri" focuses on the devastation of natural resources and its impact on community life in Chirimiri. 

The Israeli water industry is one of the best in the world, and this is because of the country’s breakthrough in technological innovations in areas like desalination, drip irrigation and water security. The country uses its water so sustainably that since 1964, its total water consumption has remained nearly the same in spite of a growing population and increased agriculture. Moreover, Israel is a water-scarce country but due to its emphasis placed on education, academia and technology, it has been able to achieve considerable success in managing its water resources. 

One of its breakthroughs is in the field of agriculture and that is invention of drip irrigation, which has helped maximise water efficiency to 90% and has helped the country save 30-50% of its water used for irrigation. Another breakthrough in the field of water management is that Israel treats 80-85% of its wastewater. The country desalinates its water which is another key to its sustainability. Israel has considerable experience in this field and local companies have developed a range of innovative technologies and solutions geared to maximising desalination efficiency. All these innovations in conjunction with high tech communications has helped the country improve its monitoring system and control its water resources while using less manpower and enhancing scalability.

Israel, a partner in India Water Week 2016, has delegates who are hopeful that India can also achieve such breakthroughs after using similar technological innovations. India Water Portal interviewed Uri Schor, the Spokesman of the Israeli Water Authority.  

85% of wastewater in Israel is treated and recycled. For what purpose is the recycled water used? 

It is mainly used for agriculture but can be used for gardening and industries. The water can be treated in three phases making it potable for drinking also. The level to which water is treated depends upon the location of the plant. 

Is the water recycled at one major plant or is it a decentralised a system of recycling? Also, is the recycling technology different or is it one technology for all the plants?

There are few main plants near big cities to collect and recycle the major amount of sewage while few small plants are also present. In all, the technologies used for recycling of water are quite similar, but there are many different technologies being used in Israel.

Can the technologies be copied and adapted in India?

It depends on the chemical quality of the water. In Israel you have all kinds of sewage that you must check, so it depends on whether the industrial or human sewage needs to be treated.

Is there a particular figure or cost/litre for the water that you recycle?

The cost depends upon the technology and the amount of effluents in the water. Also, despite having less availability of natural water, the price of treating sewage in Israel is less than most of the other countries in the world that have lots of water like England, Australia and Sweden, and this is because of the technologies that Israel uses. 

Drip irrigation: Israel has the highest ratio for crop yield per water, is that something that India can achieve?

Dripping system is an invention in Israel. The system gives the plant exactly the amount of water it needs and exactly at the right place. We do not flood the field, and through this system the water reaches the root with minimum evaporation and minimum loss.

What about the brine coming from desalination plants, is it put back into the sea? If yes, then what effects does it have?

First the brine is checked and then it is put back into the sea in more concentrated form. The sea is very huge and after all, the brine has come from the sea only. Also, the brine is being monitored all the time for any unwanted particles that can come from cleaning the machinery or digging the membrane and may enter into the sea with brine.

Isn’t desalination an expensive method? 

Of course, desalination is more expensive than the other technologies but when you need it you have to do it. Israel made its spectrum and we did it because we had the need. However, the cheapest way to get more water is to use water wisely and not to waste it, followed by preventing leakage and stealing of water. After that comes recycling of wastewater followed by desalination. Desalination of seawater is more expensive than the brackish water which is a salty water but not as salty as sea water. 

Despite being a water-rich country, should India use desalination?

In India, in a very short time you get huge amount of water, so the primary thing is to collect this water in huge reservoirs, and post that prevent water losses from the reservoirs due to leakages and evaporation.

Water is an emotive subject in India, so do you think that will matter if desalination or recycling of water is proposed?

Public awareness is the key to this. In order to achieve everything from recycling to desalination, you must get maximum public awareness. The moment the public are aware about the problem, the technology that you should use, the cost and the benefit they will get, then it will get easier. In Israel, more than 50% of water supplied is hand-made, that is the water is coming from either recycling or desalination. 

Three methods of public awareness which you feel really work?

First thing is to be aware of the water. Water is not something that you have; water is something that you get. I will give you an example; I give lectures on public awareness from very small kindergarten kids to university students. To the kindergarten kids I always say ‘Isn’t the technology magic’. Also, in India along with awareness there is a need of certain laws in order to avoid wastage of water. Watering the garden by flooding, sprinklers open during daytime and on a hot sunny day is something that we never do in Israel. 

In India water is cheaper than electricity. Is that so in Israel too? Is the cost of water the same for everyone in Israel?

Even in Israel water is cheaper than electricity, gas and cell phones. In Israel, the Government decided that the price of water will be same for everyone, so we have two rates. Until a certain amount you pay less and from the certain amount you pay much more. Low rate is for basic uses of water i.e. for domestic users, for agriculture and industry the water price is different. Also, prices for potable water and recycled water are different. 

Any water wisdom that you want to share with us?

Without compromising on drinking of water, everyone can cut down the use of water without changing their lifestyle. 

India Water Portal would like to thanks Uri Schor and the Embassy of Israel for this conversation.

India and Germany join hands to rejuvenate the Ganga

The Water Resources Ministry and the German International Cooperation (GIZ) have signed an implementation agreement to rejuvenate the Ganga under the Namami Gange Programme. The Indian Government will use the vast experiences of the German Government in cleaning the Rhine, Elbe and Danube rivers for the revival of the Ganga. Along with this, the Ministry has also formed a multidisciplinary committee of 10 members that will act as a think tank and will provide inputs to the former on various aspects of the rejuvenation. Also, the launch of the Centre for Ganga River Basin Management and Studies (CGRBMS) in collaboration with the Indian Institute of Technology, Kanpur (IITK) has been announced. 

Water Ministry seeks status of water storage in all states

The Water Resources Ministry has asked the Central Water Commission to prepare a report on the status of water storage in all states. The aim behind this is to identify incomplete water projects in the states and urge them to complete it. Along with this, the Ministry is also preparing a scheme under which a Dalit-majority village facing acute water scarcity will be chosen in every district of the country for an integrated water security plan. Also, in the wake of the water crisis across the country, the Centre is laying down guidelines for states on efficient management of water resources. The model Bill for the same is likely to be finalised by May 15. 

Shift IPL matches out of Maharashtra after April 30: HC to BCCI

The Bombay High Court has ordered the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) to shift out of Maharashtra the Indian Premier League (IPL) matches scheduled to be played after April 30. The organisers have been given 15 days to make all arrangements to shift matches. However, prior to this order, besides agreeing to use treated sewage water, the BCCI had also agreed to supply 40 lakh litres of water to drought-affected areas in the state and also promised to contribute Rs 5 crore to the Chief Minister Relief fund for the same cause. 

Thermal power plants asked to reduce water usage

Contemplating the possibility of dry summers and dwindling water levels in rivers in the coming years, the Environment Ministry has asked all the proposed thermal power plants across the country to reduce their water usage by atleast 30% while the operating ones are told to cut down their water usage by 10%. Along with this, the Ministry is mulling plans to draft new norms, that will have to be complied by December 2017 and would require all plants to put up cooling towers to reduce their power consumption. 

CAG finds loopholes in Maharashtra's management of irrigation projects

Per the Comptroller and Auditor General’s (CAG) report on Maharashtra’s finances for March 2015, the state has poorly managed its irrigation projects which has further added to its water woes. The state government needs Rs 97,101 crore to complete 515 ongoing irrigation projects. Out of this 515, 85 have been pending for more than three decades while 247 are pending for more than 15 years. Also, the CAG has slammed the state government over the shrinking of forests since 2009 and no creation of green funds mandated by the State Forest Policy over these last seven years. 

This is a roundup of important policy matters from April 12 - 18, 2016. Also read last week's news roundup. 

Rapid growth in population, agriculture production, industrialisation and urbanisation have put an extreme burden on India's dwindling water resources. Water-guzzling paddy covers maximum gross area under cultivation at 44 million hectares. Disputes related to inter-state rivers have been rising be it the Cauvery in the south or the Yamuna in the north. Punjab and Haryana are also involved in a tug of war over sharing of water from the Ravi-Beas, something that has gained more attention now with rival political parties trying to score a point just ahead of the next year's Assembly elections in Punjab. 

The dispute took centrestage with the Supreme Court recently taking up for hearing the Presidential reference related to a law passed by Punjab in 2004 terminating all water-sharing agreements with other states. To complicate matters further, Punjab Assembly recently passed another bill to return to original owners the land acquired for the proposed Satluj-Yamuna Link (SYL) canal which was to transfer water to Haryana. The dispute related to water sharing started with the reorganisation of Punjab in 1966 to form Haryana and Himachal Pradesh. After several negotiations and tribunals, Haryana was awarded 3.5 million acre foot (MAF) of water from the Ravi-Beas. It gets 1.62 MAF of this share via the existing canal network but wants the SYL canal to deliver the remaining allocation. 

Muddle over water sharing

Punjab is protesting that Haryana should not get the Ravi-Beas share being a non-riparian state to both the rivers. Haryana claims the same being part of a bigger Punjab prior to 1966. By that yardstick, Punjab says it should also get water from the Yamuna which Haryana shares with Himachal Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan and Delhi. 

Both neighbouring states are known for their record agriculture production, vast irrigation coverage and high cropping intensity but most of this production is fuelled by groundwater resulting in over drafting. 

Both Punjab and Haryana lay claim to the disputed share on the ground that they are short of water. In its submission to the Supreme Court, Punjab claimed that the flow in the river has decreased over the years from 17.17 MAF to 14.37 MAF and the groundwater table has depleted while its needs have increased with over nine lakh acres of agriculture land dependent on water from the Ravi-Beas. Earlier, Punjab had also laid claim to this water to take cropping intensity to 200 percent.

On the other hand, a resolution passed by the Haryana Assembly reads that non-supply of its share from the Ravi-Beas waters has resulted in a reduction in agriculture production to the tune of 800,000 tonnes of food grains every year, causing a perpetual annual loss of about Rs. 1,000 crore.  

Shortage of water in both states can be traced to the introduction of high-yielding but water intensive paddy varieties during the Green Revolution. Not a staple food of north western India, farmers were lured into growing paddy with assured procurement for supply to other states through the public distribution system. Over time, paddy dovetailed well with wheat and edged out pulses and coarse grains from the fields affecting soil fertility as well. An estimate suggests that Punjab uses 5,337 litres of water to grow 1 kg of rice. During 2015-16, Punjab’s contribution to the central pool of rice was 93.5 lakh tonnes which required 48,105 million cubic metres of water. Thus, Punjab has actually been exporting most of its water to fulfil the food security needs of the nation.  

But lack of water is not always a roadblock as Haryana has shown. Use of microirrigation techniques like drip and sprinklers is essential to save on irrigation water and data shows that Haryana has marched ahead on this front. Better subsidy (90 percent) than Punjab (75 percent) and a greater need to conserve water on its undulating topography and sandy soils were the main reasons for the success of sprinklers and drip systems in Haryana.

Mahendargarh, Bhiwani and Hisar districts get the least allocation of irrigation water and hence could have benefited the most from the SYL Canal but a missing link is also a blessing in disguise because these districts have done exceptionally well by adopting micro irrigation, which besides saving water also offers higher production. 

Watershed management involving the construction of structures like check dams, nullah bunds and percolation tanks to harvest water and check soil erosion, is another focus area that needs attention. Haryana has a larger area which can be treated and it is making good use of that. Here again, it's mostly the deprived southern districts which have contributed the most. In 2015-16, Haryana created and restored structures which can save 288139.6 cubic metres of water.

A similar trend can be seen in efforts to augment rural drinking water supply schemes. Both the states have registered high percentage of villages supplied with drinking water even though most of this comes from underground aquifers. Haryana has done better than Punjab in building sustainability structures to support these schemes. Scarcity of water played a significant role in pushing Haryana towards better water management. It had no other option.

Due to increasingly unpredictable weather and water demands, disputes are bound to rise. In such a scenario, water-saving technologies and conservation measures are the only ways to acquire resilience against ever-changing climatic and political developments.