Sustained Government Initiatives made India a Global Leader in Micro Irrigation

Indian green revolution in early seventies of the last century made India not only a self-sufficient nation in food grains but also enabled it to export to other countries. But soon after realization started that in the interest of maximizing food grain production we have over-stressed our natural resources of soil and water. This opened up a new thought process of sustainability of the use of natural resources. An increase in efficiency of utilization of natural resources became the favorite topic for researchers, policymakers, and other stakeholders in the early eighties. Diversification of agriculture particularly encouraging to increase horticultural production to meet the nutritional requirements of the largely vegetarian population in the country came to the focus of the policymakers. The government of India through its different initiatives supported by appropriate need-based dynamic policies for promoting horticulture in general and micro irrigation in particular resulted in a quantum jump in horticulture production, surpassing the food grain production in the country, during the last year. The government of India followed a multi-pronged strategy for the promotion of micro irrigation in the country. It included policy guidelines, offsetting its high initial cost partly by Government funding, developing a research base, and encouraging industry to the production of quality micro irrigation equipment locally. The real cause of success was the dynamism in Government policies to match the need of the time for promoting water-saving strategies and simultaneously enhancing the production of fruits and vegetables through the National Horticulture Mission, Horticulture Board, and Mission for Integrated Development of Horticulture. The article presents a detailed firsthand account of the progress of micro irrigation in the country from its inception to the point of India becoming the country with the largest micro irrigated area in the world.

Author(s): T B S Rajput

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