According to the Department of Agriculture Research and Education (DARE), conservation of water using scientific techniques in the agriculture sector have the potential to save over 30 per cent of water and 25 per cent of fertilisers in the country.
Considering the important part that water plays in agriculture, the government is bent upon taking various steps to ensure that this crucial component is properly utilised. Such measures include scheduling irrigation, constructive use of water, proper crop selection, and utilising modern irrigation technologies to increase water security in order to attain high productivity in agriculture. According to DARE, in this regard, the government has given training to over 10.8 crore farmers through 271 Krishi Vigyan Kendras (KVKs) since July 2019. The Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) has started various initiatives through the KVK which can help to conserve about 35–40 per cent water and reduce the use of fertiliser by about 20–25 per cent by scheduling irrigation. There is also stress on measures like mobile-controlled moisture sensors and an automated irrigation system for deciding the time and amount of irrigation which would help reduce use of water. Inclusion of such techniques as using biomulch and hydro gels to enable slow release of water and using microbes that help in efficient absorption of water also carry potential for conservation of water in agriculture. Water is the most critical input of agriculture and about 80 per cent of the current water use goes to agriculture.
The net sown area in the country is put at 140 million hectares (mha), of which ‘not irrigated’ area is about 48.8 per cent (about 68.38 mha) and rainfed area is 51.2 per cent. Forty per cent of the net irrigated area is canal-irrigated, whereas 60 per cent is irrigated by groundwater. Efficiency of irrigation is possible by improving efficiency of the canal-irrigated system to about 50–60 per cent, from 35–40 per cent, and that of the groundwater system from 65–70 per cent to a slightly higher 72–75 per cent.
There is a great need to enhance water security by constructive use of water, which includes use of recycled water and selection of appropriate crops and their varieties, with regard to millets, bajra, fruits, and other crops.