Prime Minister of India - Dr. Manmohan Singh

PM Inaugurates the 5th Asian Regional Conference of the International Commission on Irrigation and Drainage

"I am very happy to be present here to inaugurate the 5th Asian Regional Conference on "Improvement in Efficiency of Irrigation Projects through Technology Upgradation and Better Operation & Maintenance."

It has been said that just as the conflicts of the 20th century were often over the sharing of scarce petroleum resources, those of the 21st century will probably be over the sharing of water. Some estimates suggest that world food demand could double in the next two decades. That will translate into a huge demand for water. Further stress on scarce water resources will be caused by population growth, the majority of which will be dependent on agriculture; industry and will lead to urbanization. Nowhere are these challenges more pressing than in Asia.

The spectre of climate change will also have an unpredictable consequence on the water regime. Various studies point towards its adverse impact on the hydrologic cycle that could result in the intensification of both temporal and spatial variations in precipitation.

In our country, we are already struggling every year with floods in one part of the country and droughts in other parts of our country. This year, we had severe floods in Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and elsewhere. At the same time around 300 districts of the country were declared as being drought affected. These imbalances will only intensify with climatic distortions that are now on the horizon. Moreover, there are concerns that climate change may also adversely impact on ground water table and its quality, affecting thereby productivity of the cropping systems.

The challenge of managing our water resources in a rational and sustainable manner will thus require action on many fronts and coordination across different sectors of the economy. In India, we have tried to address these complex inter-relationships through the formulation of a National Water Mission, which is one of the eight national missions that are part of our National Action Plan on Climate Change launched recently by the Government of India.

The main objective of our "National Water Mission" is integrated water resource management by conserving water, minimizing wastage and ensuring its more equitable distribution both across and within various states of our union. Some of the key action areas of the "National Water Mission" are:

Placing of a comprehensive water data base in the public domain and assessment of the impact of climate change on water resources;

Promotion of citizen and State actions for water conservation, augmentation and preservation;

Focused attention to over-exploited areas;

Increasing water use efficiency by at least 20%; and,

Promotion of basin level integrated water resource management.

The Water Mission will seek to develop new regulatory structures, combined with appropriate entitlements and pricing of water. It will seek to optimize the efficiency of existing irrigation systems. Incentive structures will be designed to promote water-neutral or water positive technologies, recharging of underground water sources and adoption of large- scale irrigation programmes that rely on sprinklers, drip irrigation and ridge and furrow irrigation.

An expansion of irrigation and improvement in irrigation efficiency are thus key not only to improving agricultural productivity but also to our strategy for sustainable water use. There has to be a greater synergy between our agricultural policies and our water policies with a view to securing food supply, especially to the poor and vulnerable sections of the population, through more efficient and sustainable use of scarce water resources.

The target of doubling the annual rate of growth of agriculture in India to 4% during the Eleventh Plan Period of 2007-2012 is a top priority for our government. To achieve this, we are sharply increasing public investment in agriculture. The most important area for investment in agriculture relates to the provision of water and its most efficient use. In fact, we hope to be able to add about 16 million hectares to the irrigated area during the Eleventh Five Year Plan.

But, an assessment of the irrigation system in India indicates that efficiencies of surface water systems can be improved from the present level of 35 to 40% to about 60% and that of groundwater systems from the existing 65% to about 75%. Similar situations prevail in most developing countries in Asia and we have a great deal to learn from each others experience. Utilization of created irrigation potential is another crucial issue. In India only about 84% of the created irrigation potential has been utilized thus far. Efficient use of crop water can increase the gross irrigated area, either by increasing the irrigated cropped area or the intensity of irrigation. All these options have to be explored and collaboration in research among countries represented here shall be a very important, fruitful collaborative exercise to improve the efficiency of water and promote its sustainable use.

Therefore, the subject of your deliberations today has vital importance for countries like India that are investing heavily in irrigation schemes. We look forward to the outcome of your deliberations today that could, I hope that will make a practical contribution to the adoption of best practices in the irrigation systems in India and elsewhere in Asia.

We need to increase investment in agricultural technologies, particularly those related to improved crop practices, water savings, design of storage structures & more efficient farm implements. The first Green Revolution came due to innovations developed in the public sector. The second Green Revolution may well come from technologies developed in the private sector. It is therefore essential that private investment and innovation be incorporated within a broader vision and strategy of development in the agriculture and water sectors.

It is equally important that developed technologies reach the farmers particularly the poorest farmers. I am very happy that the Ministry of Water Resources has launched a "Farmers' Participatory Action Research Programme" through Agriculture Universities and Agriculture Research Institutes with a view to demonstrate available technologies for increasing productivity and profitability of agriculture. Such programmes need to be expanded.

I would like to emphasize that water-related issues need to be addressed with the full involvement of the local communities and take into account specific local conditions and concerns. Farmers as principal stakeholders should be consulted in any agricultural water management initiatives. Women play a key role in food production activities in a large number of countries. Therefore, a special effort should be made to involve women in process of decision-making.

I wish to conclude by saying that we should work together, learn from each other and harness all our scarce resources to give substance to the slogan "More Crop and Income per Drop". I wish your Conference all success."