* On an average, the irrigated area in the State has declined by 1,50,000 hectares between 2001-02 and 2010-11
* With increase in committed non-irrigation use of water, irrigated area
in State likely to come down by 4.20 lakh hectares in future
By Kartik Lokhande
Though
the Democratic Front (DF) Government has been claiming that the
irrigation potential in the State has increased over the years, the
Special Inquiry Team (SIT) appointed by it has found that irrigated area
in Maharashtra is declining due to growing non-irrigation use of water
from irrigation projects. As per the report, the average decline in
irrigated area in the State between 2001-02 and 2010-11 is 1,50,000
hectares!
As per the official data, an average 26 per cent of water from
irrigation projects is being used for non-irrigation purposes. Of five
irrigation development corporations (IDCs), non-irrigation use is as
high as 70 per cent in Jalgaon-based Tapi IDC. It is followed by Konkan
IDC based in Thane with 52 per cent non-irrigation use, Pune-based
Maharashtra Krishna Valley Development Corporation (MKVDC) having 25 per
cent non-irrigation use, Aurangabad-based Godavari Marathwada IDC with
19 per cent non-irrigation use.
However, as against popular perception, 65 per cent of the
non-irrigation use is for water supply to cities. Industrial use is only
11 per cent, and 24 per cent is used for other non-irrigation purposes
like water released in rivers and for lakes, water drawn for immersion
of idols, fairs, fish-seed centres, emergency release of water as per
the request of respective district administration etc. In case of MKVDC,
such non-irrigation use of water is five times the industrial use.
Following the multi-crore irrigation scam, DF Government had appointed a
SIT led by eminent water expert Dr Madhavrao Chitaley. The committee
submitted its report to the Government recently. As per the report, the
average committed non-irrigation use of water in the State was 4,053
million cubic metres (MCuM) between 2001-02 and 2010-11. During the same
period, actual non-irrigation use of water was 4,555 MCuM, which was
more than committed use. The committee compiled data of five irrigation
development corporations (IDCs) in State and concluded that with rising
non-irrigation use, the irrigated area had declined by an average
1,50,000 hectares.
State Government has approved non-irrigation use of 6,850 MCuM of water
for domestic and industrial purposes. As the already committed
non-irrigation use is 4,053 MCuM, an estimated 2,797 MCuM water will be
used for non-irrigation purposes additionally as the State has cleared
new proposals. Considering that 150 hectares of agricultural area is
irrigated in 1 MCuM water, this means that 4.20 lakh hectares area of
the State will be deprived of irrigation in future. Thus, though there
might be increase in creation of irrigation potential, actual irrigated
area will continue declining in future.
Considering the peculiar situation of Maharashtra, and in particular the
rainfed region of Vidarbha where irrigation facilities are
comparatively lesser, industrial and domestic uses consuming the share
of irrigation will hit the agricultural economy hard. Already, farmers
are committing suicides as they have got no protection from the
irregular and erratic rainfall. In such a situation if water available
for irrigation also is diverted for industrial and domestic consumption
in big cities, farmers will be in a bigger trouble.
IDC-wise non-irrigation use of
water from irrigation projects ------------------------------------------------------------------
IDC Non-irrigation use
------------------------------------------------------------------
Tapi IDC 70%
Konkan IDC 52%
MKVDC 25%
GMIDC 19%
Vidarbha IDC 14%
------------------------------------------------------------------
Average 26%
------------------------------------------------------------------
Decline in irrigated area due
to non-irrigation use of water
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Year Committed non-irrigation Actual non-irrigation Decline in
use of water use of water irrigated area
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2001-02 3,900 MCuM 3,351 MCuM 25,000 Ha
2002-03 3,901 MCuM 4,570 MCuM 1,79,000 Ha
2003-04 3,922 MCuM 4,799 MCuM 2,02,000 Ha
2004-05 3,928 MCuM 4,382 MCuM 1,48,000 Ha
2005-06 3,955 MCuM 4,753 MCuM 1,95,000 Ha
2006-07 3,980 MCuM 4,175 MCuM 90,000 Ha
2007-08 4,129 MCuM 4,941 MCuM 1,84,000 Ha
2008-09 4,144 MCuM 5,358 MCuM 2,34,000 Ha
2009-10 4,307 MCuM 4,408 MCuM 1,12,000 Ha
2010-11 4,369 MCuM 4,817 MCuM 1,26,000 Ha
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Average 4,053 MCuM 4,555 MCuM 1,50,000 Ha
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
(Source: SIT Report, 2014)
(30-07-14)
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