Revitalization of Rivers in India Draft Policy - Isha Guru Jaggi Vasudev

Revitalization of Rivers In India
Draft Policy Recommendation
Generally, under this type of Government sponsored community
irrigation schemes, the area under irrigation will be continuous
throughout the proposed command area, irrespective of farmer interest
/ land holdings. In this segment of Community Micro-Irrigation,
Karnataka state is the pioneer and leader. Karnataka has executed a few
integrated Lift and Micro-Irrigation Projects like Ramthal Drip Irrigation
Project. More details of these models are provided in Annexure 9.
When large-scale micro-irrigation is to be taken up, it would be
best to outsource it to experienced organizations as in the two models
described above. At present, farmers lose much time waiting for water
for flood irrigation. If micro-irrigation is implemented, they can focus on
farm operations and also find time to engage in other income-generating
activities. This should be done in a way tha it preserves the farmers’ right
over his land, and preserves the farmers right to make own crop choices.
Farmers will no longer have a sense of being stuck on the land waiting for
flood irrigation. This will reduce agrarian distress and suicide.
ENSURING SOIL BIODIVERSITY AND REDUCING SOIL EROSION
Soil biodiversity is improved due to multiple rhizosphere of different
fruit crops, and the presence of a variety of microorganisms associated
with the rhizosphere. Soil erosion is totally avoided by the non-tillage,
multi-tier, multi-crop, and mulching model that has been proposed,
resulting in better recharge of groundwater, concomitant with pollutantfree
quality of runoff water. No tillage with good ground cover ensures
increased beneficial soil bio-flora, culminating in sustainable soil fertility.
This also reduces a huge cost head for the farmer, who otherwise spends a
substantial amount of money in tilling the land for every cropping cycle.
The leaf litter and humus formed from the proposed system also adds up to
the organic content of the land, and helps revive soil health at
a quicker pace.
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