Irrigation water productivity

 Land productivity could be defined as amount of crop produced per unit area while water productivity means amount of crop produced per unit volume of water.

Need to shift to water productivity

• India is a net exporter of water as it exports water intensive crops like rice
• 2/3rd of India is suffering from ground water depletion
• Climate change means more intense rains in less number of days, it warrants water use efficiency
• Himalayan region is experiencing snow free summers, which means grater water stress in future
• Urban areas experience water stress
• Population is still growing 

Challenges

• Huge dependence on exports like rice, wheat etc
• Powerful social and political interest groups that rely on old metric, e.g., INLD, MKSS etc.
• Old institutional structure depends on old metric,e.g., MSP.
• Need to use new methodology, technology and education
• Human psychological inertia

Way forward

• We need to demonstrate new methods through pilot projects
• Implement Mihir Sen Committee reforms

 Water in irrigation need to be carefully accounted for to make sustainability of water a reality.