Guwahati, Monday, May 8, 2006
EDITORIAL
A water management plan for Asom
H N Das
Asom has enormous water resources in the Brahmaputra and the other rivers. Again, most areas have a very high ground water table. If water management is proper both at the macro and the micro levels the per capita income can be increased tremendously through a revolution in agriculture, horticulture, floriculture and agro industries and improvement in health and sanitation.
Water has played the most important role in the nurturing of human civilisation in different parts of the earth. Traditionally agranian civilisations have come up in the river valleys only. The Sumerian and the Babylonian civilisations were nurtured by the waters of the Euphrates and the Tigris rovers. The Egyptian civilisation was sustained by the Nile river. In India, different civilisations have flourished in the valleys of the Ganga, the Brahmaputra and other smaller rivers.
Estimation of experts show that out of the total water resources of the earth only 3 per cent is fresh water out of which again less than 0.03 per cent is accessible to mankind. That is why there are so many deserts and drought affected areas in different continents. In India, we have only 2 per cent of the landmass and 4 per cent of the fresh water available in the planet. With such scarce resources, India has to provide water for 16 per cent of the worlds population and nearly 20 per cent of the worlds cattle. This mismatch has resulted in the water problem of India assuming such critical proportions. Unless proper actions are taken from now onwards, great water scarcity will be felt all over the country and particularly, in the drought prone States.
Water is required for many purposes, the most important being for drinking. In most water scarce areas women serve as water carriers. In some States such as Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan even today a large number of women are engaged in drawing water from distant places. Many of them spend a major portion of their time during each day for this purpose.
Water is also required for irrigation. In most advanced countries elaborate arrangements exist for different types of irrigation systems for a variety of crops. According to the well known historian J M Roberts, the Romans were the greatest engineers yet to set about exending the human exploitation of the material world. Not for centuries was anything of such comparable scale and utility again to be built in Europe. (History of the World). Roberts has further stated that after nineteen centuries, the water supply of the Spanish city of Segovua is still carried to it by this Roman aqueduct, (as illustrated by a photograph in Roberts book) borne by 128 arches which raise the water channel to a hundred feet above ground at its highest point. Similar engineering marvels were created a few centuries later by the Chola kings of South India. They spent a considerable lot of money on public works including extensive irrigation system. They built and diverted river water into smaller channels. They also built aqueducts, viaducts, tanks and wells for irrigation purposes. A few of their works have survived and are even now in use. Some have been show-cases for tourism purposes.
In the modern times dams, canals, piplelines and irrigation channels have been built along with urban water supply works in different parts of the world. Some of the dams are of huge proportions. In the United States of America very big dams have been built such as the Grand Coulee on the Columbia river. A similar dam has been built at Aswan on the Nile river in Egypt. Now, the Three Gorges Dam on the river Yangtze in China will dwarf all these and will become the biggest hydro-electric, navigational and irrigation works in the world.
In post-independence India, importance has been given to irrigation in some of the States. Bhakra-Nangal has been built. The Damodar Valley Corporation has been started in the model of the Tennessee Valley Authority of USA. Many more dams and irrigation systems have been built in different States. The Green Revolution was made possible mainly through augmentation of irrigation facilities. However, the needs of neither water nor irrigation water have been fully satisfied as yet.
The most serious attention has been given to water management in recent times by the State of Gujarat. There they have brought about a water revolution in the past few years. (This has been earlier described in detail in my article in the issue of The Assam Tribune dated April 28)
Unlike Gujarat, in Asom nature has provided enormous resources in the Brahmaputra river and its tributaries, in the Barak river and in the high ground water table. However, indadequacy of irrigation facilities has been one of the main causes of low production and productivity of agricultural crops which again results in deficit in foodgrains availability. Only 49.48 per cent of the net area is sown more than once. The annual foodgrains production of 40.34 lakh tonnes and the oilseed production of 1.53 lakh tonnes (both the figures relate to 2003-04) is hardly enough. Large quantities of foodgrains have to be imported from outside in order to feed the growing population of about 3 crores (the 2002 census figure was 2.66 crores) as has been shown by the LC Jain Committee and the Committee on Fiscal Reforms. It is therefore, important that proper attention is given to irrigation urgently.But water management has been faulty in the past. There is a lot of ad hocism. There is no holistic approach or comprehensive plan. For example, in regard to flood and erosion the structural measures taken so far have not been able to fully solve problem. The brahmaputra Board has turned out to be a white elephant, almost redundant. Its master plans, prepared over two decades and at exhorbitant cost, have not found acceptance. The Government of Asom got a Feasibility Report on Assam Integrated Flood Management and Erosion Mitigation Project prepared in February, 2006 which if implemented, it is claimed, will contribute to invigoration of actually depressed agricultural production activities, enhancement of quality of life among rural people and giving an impetus for improvement of local government bodies services to local community. The recommendations in this latest report needs immediate examination.
Irrigation was neglected in the past hoping that rain water and surface water would take care of moisture requirement for agriculture in the rabi season. Only 11.26 lakh hectares of land is irrigated through government irrigation facilities according to the Economic Survey of Assam, 2004-05 against a total cropped area of 40.87 lakh hectares. This is too small. A bold attempt was made in 1999 when the Samriddha Krishak Yojana was launched to sink 1,00,000 shallow tube to irrigate 2,00,000 hectares of land. But many of the STWs went into disuse next year itself and the project failed to usher in the desired results. The production of foodgrains which had gone up to 40.23 lakh tonnes in 2001-02 declined to 38.94 lakh tonnes in 2002-03. However, this project had created additional employment for 1.89.000 people. It is necessary that the project is revived and revamped urgently before all the STWs and pipelines are rusted.
According to the Economic Survey of India for 2005-06 only 56.8 per cent of rural households, 70.4 per cent of urban households and 58.8 per cent of total households in Asom have access to safe drinking water against the all India figures of 73.2, 90 and 77.9 per cent, respectively. This is another area where serious attention is necessary. Now that large have been provided in the Union Budget for 2006-07 for water Asom should be able to draw its share and improve the supply of water for drinking and sanitation.
A look at the changing profile of per capita income of Asom at constant 1993-94 prices will show that while it increased by a minuscule 0.4 per cent in 1994-05, 0.4 per cent in 1995-96, 0.6 per cent in 1996-97 and 0.1 per cent in 1997-98 it fell to the nadir by () 2.3 per cent in 1998-99. Then the change came. In 1999-20000 it rose by 2.1 per cent, in 20000-01 by 2.7 per cent, in 2002-02 by 2.1 per cent and in 2002-03 by 2.6 per cent. It had a spurt of 4.8 per cent in 2003-04. In 2004-05 the figure has gone above 6 per cent. If we wish to increase the per capita incomne further in order to establish equivalence with the all India average one of the critical inputs into the development process will be water.
Asom has enormous water resources in the Brahmaputra and the other rivers. Again, most areas have a very high ground water table. If water management is proper both at the macro and the micro levels the per capita income can be increased tremendously through a revolution in agriculture, horticulture, floriculture and agro industries and improvement in health and sanitation. Substantial employment can also be created in input supply, production, distribution, maintenance of structural works and machineries and most importantly in marketing.
Water has played the most important role in the nurturing of human civilisation in different parts of the earth. Traditionally agranian civilisations have come up in the river valleys only. The Sumerian and the Babylonian civilisations were nurtured by the waters of the Euphrates and the Tigris rovers. The Egyptian civilisation was sustained by the Nile river. In India, different civilisations have flourished in the valleys of the Ganga, the Brahmaputra and other smaller rivers.
Estimation of experts show that out of the total water resources of the earth only 3 per cent is fresh water out of which again less than 0.03 per cent is accessible to mankind. That is why there are so many deserts and drought affected areas in different continents. In India, we have only 2 per cent of the landmass and 4 per cent of the fresh water available in the planet. With such scarce resources, India has to provide water for 16 per cent of the worlds population and nearly 20 per cent of the worlds cattle. This mismatch has resulted in the water problem of India assuming such critical proportions. Unless proper actions are taken from now onwards, great water scarcity will be felt all over the country and particularly, in the drought prone States.
Water is required for many purposes, the most important being for drinking. In most water scarce areas women serve as water carriers. In some States such as Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan even today a large number of women are engaged in drawing water from distant places. Many of them spend a major portion of their time during each day for this purpose.
Water is also required for irrigation. In most advanced countries elaborate arrangements exist for different types of irrigation systems for a variety of crops. According to the well known historian J M Roberts, the Romans were the greatest engineers yet to set about exending the human exploitation of the material world. Not for centuries was anything of such comparable scale and utility again to be built in Europe. (History of the World). Roberts has further stated that after nineteen centuries, the water supply of the Spanish city of Segovua is still carried to it by this Roman aqueduct, (as illustrated by a photograph in Roberts book) borne by 128 arches which raise the water channel to a hundred feet above ground at its highest point. Similar engineering marvels were created a few centuries later by the Chola kings of South India. They spent a considerable lot of money on public works including extensive irrigation system. They built and diverted river water into smaller channels. They also built aqueducts, viaducts, tanks and wells for irrigation purposes. A few of their works have survived and are even now in use. Some have been show-cases for tourism purposes.
In the modern times dams, canals, piplelines and irrigation channels have been built along with urban water supply works in different parts of the world. Some of the dams are of huge proportions. In the United States of America very big dams have been built such as the Grand Coulee on the Columbia river. A similar dam has been built at Aswan on the Nile river in Egypt. Now, the Three Gorges Dam on the river Yangtze in China will dwarf all these and will become the biggest hydro-electric, navigational and irrigation works in the world.
In post-independence India, importance has been given to irrigation in some of the States. Bhakra-Nangal has been built. The Damodar Valley Corporation has been started in the model of the Tennessee Valley Authority of USA. Many more dams and irrigation systems have been built in different States. The Green Revolution was made possible mainly through augmentation of irrigation facilities. However, the needs of neither water nor irrigation water have been fully satisfied as yet.
The most serious attention has been given to water management in recent times by the State of Gujarat. There they have brought about a water revolution in the past few years. (This has been earlier described in detail in my article in the issue of The Assam Tribune dated April 28)
Unlike Gujarat, in Asom nature has provided enormous resources in the Brahmaputra river and its tributaries, in the Barak river and in the high ground water table. However, indadequacy of irrigation facilities has been one of the main causes of low production and productivity of agricultural crops which again results in deficit in foodgrains availability. Only 49.48 per cent of the net area is sown more than once. The annual foodgrains production of 40.34 lakh tonnes and the oilseed production of 1.53 lakh tonnes (both the figures relate to 2003-04) is hardly enough. Large quantities of foodgrains have to be imported from outside in order to feed the growing population of about 3 crores (the 2002 census figure was 2.66 crores) as has been shown by the LC Jain Committee and the Committee on Fiscal Reforms. It is therefore, important that proper attention is given to irrigation urgently.But water management has been faulty in the past. There is a lot of ad hocism. There is no holistic approach or comprehensive plan. For example, in regard to flood and erosion the structural measures taken so far have not been able to fully solve problem. The brahmaputra Board has turned out to be a white elephant, almost redundant. Its master plans, prepared over two decades and at exhorbitant cost, have not found acceptance. The Government of Asom got a Feasibility Report on Assam Integrated Flood Management and Erosion Mitigation Project prepared in February, 2006 which if implemented, it is claimed, will contribute to invigoration of actually depressed agricultural production activities, enhancement of quality of life among rural people and giving an impetus for improvement of local government bodies services to local community. The recommendations in this latest report needs immediate examination.
Irrigation was neglected in the past hoping that rain water and surface water would take care of moisture requirement for agriculture in the rabi season. Only 11.26 lakh hectares of land is irrigated through government irrigation facilities according to the Economic Survey of Assam, 2004-05 against a total cropped area of 40.87 lakh hectares. This is too small. A bold attempt was made in 1999 when the Samriddha Krishak Yojana was launched to sink 1,00,000 shallow tube to irrigate 2,00,000 hectares of land. But many of the STWs went into disuse next year itself and the project failed to usher in the desired results. The production of foodgrains which had gone up to 40.23 lakh tonnes in 2001-02 declined to 38.94 lakh tonnes in 2002-03. However, this project had created additional employment for 1.89.000 people. It is necessary that the project is revived and revamped urgently before all the STWs and pipelines are rusted.
According to the Economic Survey of India for 2005-06 only 56.8 per cent of rural households, 70.4 per cent of urban households and 58.8 per cent of total households in Asom have access to safe drinking water against the all India figures of 73.2, 90 and 77.9 per cent, respectively. This is another area where serious attention is necessary. Now that large have been provided in the Union Budget for 2006-07 for water Asom should be able to draw its share and improve the supply of water for drinking and sanitation.
A look at the changing profile of per capita income of Asom at constant 1993-94 prices will show that while it increased by a minuscule 0.4 per cent in 1994-05, 0.4 per cent in 1995-96, 0.6 per cent in 1996-97 and 0.1 per cent in 1997-98 it fell to the nadir by () 2.3 per cent in 1998-99. Then the change came. In 1999-20000 it rose by 2.1 per cent, in 20000-01 by 2.7 per cent, in 2002-02 by 2.1 per cent and in 2002-03 by 2.6 per cent. It had a spurt of 4.8 per cent in 2003-04. In 2004-05 the figure has gone above 6 per cent. If we wish to increase the per capita incomne further in order to establish equivalence with the all India average one of the critical inputs into the development process will be water.
Asom has enormous water resources in the Brahmaputra and the other rivers. Again, most areas have a very high ground water table. If water management is proper both at the macro and the micro levels the per capita income can be increased tremendously through a revolution in agriculture, horticulture, floriculture and agro industries and improvement in health and sanitation. Substantial employment can also be created in input supply, production, distribution, maintenance of structural works and machineries and most importantly in marketing.
(The writer was Chief Secretary, Asom during 1990-95)
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