ICAR Says India’s Per Capita Water Availability Will Decline Further

India’s Agri- research body ICAR has revealed in a report that country’s per capita water availability is estimated to further decline to 1,465 cubic meters by 2025. 

While stressing on the need to use technology and crop diversification to reduce water consumption, ICAR has suggested implementing proper crop planning in the country.  ICAR also announced that it is working on a mechanism to suggest crop planning for India under which farmers would be recommended which crop is to be grown in how much area. 

T Mohapatra, Director General of Indian Council for Agriculture Research (ICAR)  pointed out that the per capita annual water availability has declined to 1,508 cubic meters in 2014 from 5,177 cubic meter in 1951. 

“The per capita availability of water is estimated to decline further to 1,465 cubic meter by 2025 and 1,235 cubic meter by 2050. If it declines further to around 1,000-1,100 cubic meter, then India could be declared as water-stressed country,” he said. 

Moreover, Mohapatra stressed on water management system and feared that there could be a fight between different states over water and even within states. 

Of the total 140 million hectare of net sown area, only 48.8 per cent is under irrigation and rest is rainfed, he added.  

While the net irrigated area is of 68.38 million hectare, about 60 per cent is irrigated through groundwater. 

“There is a need to reduce the consumption of water in the agriculture sector. We can produce more even in less water. Prime Minister has given a call for per drop more crop,” Mohapatra said. He said a group of secretaries had asked ICAR to work on crop planning for the entire country. 

The crop planning would be based on local climatic conditions, water availability and overall demand-supply situation and could help the government to plan its incentives in such ways that farmers will adopt those recommended crops, the DG said. 

Mohapatra said that the ICAR has launched a campaign to educate farmers about right water usage in their fields from July 1 till October 15. He said already 10 lakh farmers have been reached through its Krishi Vigyan Kendras and plan is to reach another 5 lakh farmers.