The Maharashtra state water resources ministry has strongly recommended mandatory use of drip irrigation technology for sugarcane and banana cultivation, as they are water intensive crops.
Western Maharashtra, north Maharashtra and parts of south Marathwada are major beneficiaries of dams and largely dependent on canal water. Most of the area is also known for cultivating cash crops, such as sugarcane, horticultural crops like pomegranates, grapes, sapota and banana.
A senior officer from the state agriculture commissionerate said experts have always criticised the extra water used for these crops in conventional irrigation methods, as less water is reserved for foodgrains such as jowar and pulses.
The state has decided to encourage drip irrigation technology, which uses water efficiently and allows farmers to grow more than one crop, said the officer.
The ministry has also recommended that a coordination committee of agriculture, revenue, water resources and groundwater officials should study the priorities of each irrigation project and finalise a plan for distribution of water for urban, industrial and agriculture purposes.
The department has been facing the heat for alleged irregularities in irrigation projects, particularly the escalation of construction cost of various dams. The issue came into focus because of the agriculture department’s report which said that only 0.1% agricultural land had been provided irrigation facilities in the last decade. The water resources department’s paper had cited the figure as 5.17%.
About 150 sugar factories crush sugarcane every year and produce sugar. Some of the sugar factories from the state also export sugar and get good returns. The state is a major producer of bananas as well, which is supplied to various parts of the country and also exported to west Asian countries.
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