Can Micro-Irrigation Technologies Resolve India’s Groundwater Crisis? Reflections from Dark-Regions in Gujarat

Abstract

Upfront capital costs of micro-irrigation technologies are subsidized across the dark-zone regions of the state of Gujarat, where groundwater was observed as over-extracted, with an anticipation that wide-scale adoption could perhaps reduce pressure on the aquifer. From a macro-perspective, the real water saving potential depends on not only adoption of these technologies but also how best the farmers' get convinced about the looming water scarcity and try to adapt to the new technologies. While there are several plot-level studies with respect to water consumption, very limited research is being carried out at basin-wide and irrigation system level. The onus of this paper, henceforth, is to examine the impact of micro-irrigation adoption on groundwater utilization at the irrigation system level. In the study regions, either an individual or a group of farmers' extract water from the common aquifer, and therefore, it is being considered as a proxy for the irrigation system. Empirical observations were based on an in-depth survey of 430 tubewell owning farmers who have adopted micro-irrigation in the dark zone, and the information were collected by considering common aquifer as the unit of analysis rather than individual farm household. The major findings emerging from the study are: (i) micro-irrigation adoption per se was statistically insignificant to make any considerable plunge in the groundwater use, and (ii) technology adoption along with metered power connection leads to a reduction in groundwater extraction. It should be noted that we, based on the finding, do not categorically deny the possibility of declining groundwater use due to large-scale adoption of such technologies since negative coefficient values are found. From a policy angle, the study suggests that the promotion of these technologies may not lead to sustainable groundwater conservation outcomes unless the farmers are made to behave responsibly especially under extreme water scarcity conditions. It is also important that while supporting for the adoption of these innovations, the state also should effectively regulate the pilferages in farm power use by expediting the process of metering of unmetered connections, to achieve the desired goals of sustainable management of groundwater.

Groundwater irrigation reduces overall poverty but increases socioeconomic vulnerability in a semiarid region of southern India

“…the Ganga Kalyana Scheme for tribal populations in Karnataka or the subsidy and power connection policies in dark-regions in Gujarat 84 . The other limit is indeed the “rebound effect” associated with micro-irrigation: at the individual level, the farmers who possess this equipment seek to use the water they save to irrigate new areas 85 , 86 . The pressure on water thus remains unchanged, or even increases, exacerbating the impact on unequipped irrigators, and in no way resolves the issue of equity.…”

Impacts of Water and Energy Sector Reforms in Gujarat: The Case of Expansion of Micro Irrigation Schemes and Rationalisation of Agricultural Power Tariff

“…The implementation of the PIM Act coincided with the wide-scale promotion of micro irrigation schemes, which was supported by the state under the national initiative National Mission on Micro Irrigation since May 2005. The programme benefited vast tracks of farm lands covered under the private and public tube wells (Bahinipati & Viswanathan, 2019a, b). The dramatic increase in area under MIS has been facilitated by the Gujarat Green Revolution Company (GGRC) ably supported by the national and state governments (GoG, 2020).…”

“…While the demand for water had increased over time, the state has been facing problems of depletion of groundwater resources as well as stagnation of area under surface irrigation systems along with a progressive shift towards adoption of water saving irrigation systems (Bahinipati & Viswanathan, 2019a, b). The Falkenmark measure of water stress suggests that ‘if per capita water availability is below 1,000 m 3 , it depicts water scarcity and as per this criterion, Gujarat is considered as ‘water starved’ in view of the low per capita rainwater availability than other states.…”

Global Patterns of Climate-resilient Agriculture: A Review of Studies and Imperatives for Empirical Research in India

“…Bahinipati and Viswanathan (2019a) observed that pecuniary benefits associated with MIS, rather than concerns on real savings in water, enhanced its adoption, even in the dark-zone regions in Gujarat. As a result, the observed large-scale adoption of MIS did not reduce the pressure on groundwater extraction (Bahinipati & Viswanathan, 2019b).…”