Reference Text
Time Left10:00
Finance
Minister
Arun
Jaitley
expressed
confidence
that
agriculture
would
withstand
the
ongoing
drought,
the
situation
calls
for
long
term
solutions.
Increased
water
conservation
and
promoting
cultivation
of
less
water
intensive
crops
can
go
a
long
way
towards
coping
with
the
crisis.
The
other
remedial
option
could
be
to
adopt
drought
resistant
crop
varieties
as
has
been
done
in
some
parts
of
Odisha
for
paddy/rice
through
the
help
of
the
International
Rice
Research
Institute.
This
can
maintain
productivity
and
income
of
the
farmers
and
also
ensure
price
stability
to
the
consumers.
It
is
important
for
the
government
to
sustain
an
increased
investment
in
irrigation
but
at
the
same
time
gear
up
towards
faster
completion
of
the
ongoing
projects.
Micro
irrigation
system
comprising
drip
and
sprinkler
irrigation
has
greater
potential
to
improve
water
use
efficiency
in
agriculture.
Despite
various
promotional
efforts
undertaken
by
State
governments,
their
level
of
adoption
and
spatial
spread
has
remained
low.
Studies
show
that
micro
irrigation
system
helps
save
water,
reduce
cost
of
cultivation
and
improve
crop
yield.
Various
studies
showed
that
the
net
return
per
inch
of
water
supplied
through
drip
irrigation
was
60
80
per
cent
higher
than
that
of
conventional
irrigation
system.
However,
among
others,
high
initial
capital
cost,
suitability
of
designs
to
different
soil
conditions,
problems
in
receiving
subsidy
and
small
holdings
are
reportedly
affecting
the
adoption
of
this
technology.
Subsidy
being
an
important
factor
influencing
adoption
decision
of
farmers,
delay
in
disbursement
and
appropriation
by
better
off
farmers
seems
to
have
affected
the
vast
majority
of
resource
poor
small
and
marginal
farmers
in
accessing
this
technology.
The
Pradhan
Mantri
Krishi
Sinchayee
Yojana
is
a
good
policy
initiative
that
would
accelerate
public
investment
in
both
micro
and
macro
irrigation.
During
the
recently
organised
India
Water
Week,
2016,
India
has
also
partnered
with
Israel,
a
water
scarce
country,
to
learn
and
adopt
innovative
strategies
to
harness
rainwater.
Small
vegetable
growing
farmers
near
Solan,
Himachal
Pradesh,
have
long
adopted
Israel's
water
saving
technology
through
the
assistance
of
the
Mother
Dairy
retail
chain
that
procures
their
fresh
produce.
It
is
an
opportune
time
to
scale
up
technology
adoption.
Finally,
the
shortage
of
drinking
water
can
be
addressed
through
promoting
conservation
and
generating
awareness
among
people
to
use
the
scarce
resource
with
utmost
care.
Media
reports
indicate
that
the
funds
allocated
by
the
Centre
for
drinking
water
projects
have
remained
underutilised
in
many
of
the
States
hit
by
water
scarcity.
The
States
must
act
responsibly
and
gear
up
to
come
out
of
the
current
situation
of
water
crisis.
Finance
Minister
Arun
Jaitley
expressed
confidence
that
agriculture
would
withstand
the
ongoing
drought,
the
situation
calls
for
long
term
solutions.
Increased
water
conservation
and
promoting
cultivation
of
less
water
intensive