Experts seek recognition for their irrigation models

Lalit Mohan

Tribune News Service

Dharamsala, January 16

With the government planning an investment of Rs 9,599 crore under the Pradhan Mantri Krishi Yojana in the state, agriculture experts in Chaudhary Sarwan Kumar Agriculture University (CSKAU), Palampur, are expecting that irrigation models developed by them will be taken into consideration.

The university experts have developed various models for conserving rainwater, solar tubewells and other cost-effective methods for irrigation in the hilly areas.

VC AK Sarial said one of the irrigation schemes proposed by the state government had a budget outlay of Rs 4,848 crore aimed at renovating the old irrigation system. The other component would have a budget outlay of Rs 4,751 crore to be implemented in four phases by constructing small, medium-sized dams and barrages across rivers and rivulets, check dams and tanks (polythene lined or concrete tanks to store thousands of liters of water) and use the stored water by lift irrigation or gravity, he said.

He said the country’s five major rivers — Sutlej, Beas, Ravi, Yamuna and Chenab — originated from Himachal and irrigated 98 per cent land in Punjab, 84 per cent in Haryana, 27.5 per cent (55 lakh hectares) in Rajasthan and even across the border in Pakistan, but merely 19 per cent (1.13 lakh hectares) of the cultivated area in Himachal.

During the Vice-Chancellors’ conference in 2017, Sarial mooted an idea to NITI Ayog expert Ramesh Chand to bring at least 10 per cent of the total cultivated area of Himachal under irrigation every year, raising it from 19 per cent to 69 per cent over a period of five years so as to achieve the target of doubling farmers’ income. He said the average productivity of Himachal had been estimated two-and-half to three times in the irrigated system. “Most rain (about 80 per cent) received during the monsoon from June to September lead to excess water and rest (20 per cent) received during the year leads to deficit moisture conditions,” he added.

The state has four major and 10 minor water reservoirs with the total capacity of about 25,000 cubic m.

A majority of these reservoirs and farm ponds have been polyethylene lined with cross laminated blue-coloured UV resistant sheet of 200-250 GSM thickness. The poly-lining has been done to control the seepage with the objective of enhancing the water storage period after the rainy season.

Sarial said on completion of the irrigation schemes over the next five years, it was estimated that around 3.25 lakh-hectare cultivable area would have assured irrigation, raising the productivity and production of field crops from two-and-half to threefold.