Draft district irrigation plan to be submitted by month end

Agriculture Department Joint Director Kempe Gowda said that a draft of a district irrigation plan will be submitted to the State government by the end of the month. This plan is under the Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchai Yojana (PMKSY) for implementation of micro irrigation projects. Kempe Gowda was speaking at a preparatory meeting with the officials, NGOs and farmer leaders here on Wednesday.

Gowda said, “The Yojana aims at convergence of investments in irrigation, enhance access to irrigation and integration of the water source, distribution and application.” He said that it also aims to improve On-farm water use efficiency and enhance the adoption of precision irrigation.

“Thrust will be given for water conservation and ground water recharge, development of rain-fed areas through watershed approach, treatment of municipal waste water for peri-urban agriculture area and private participation in irrigation,” said Gowda. He informed that the plan will calibrate the existing irrigation system further for ensuring maximum yield and taking the available water to farms in the tail-end areas.

The main objective of this programme is ‘More crop per drop’ and ‘Water to the last field’.   Factors such as source of water, distribution of water, optimum use of water, increase in farm productivity and the availability of water will be taken in to consideration for collecting the basic details. The suggestions given by the various stake holders, department officials, MPs, MLAs, elected representatives of Panchayats, NGOs and farmer leaders will be taken to consideration, informed the Joint Director.

Deputy Commissioner A B Ibrahim said that the possibility of desalination of sea water should be included in the project along with recycling of water. He informed that Mangaluru city gets 30 Million Gallons per Day (MGD) but only 3 MGD is recycled. “Recycling of water also should be given priority,” he emphasised.

Environmentalist Shashidhar Shetty alleged that excessive sand mining in Dakshina Kannada has resulted in the intrusion of salt water to the wells in the neighbourhood. He exhorted that elaborate programmes should be chalked out by the PMKSY to recharge ground water in the Western Ghats.