Micro irrigation systems becoming popular in Haryana

By Haryananewswire

CHANDIGARH, June 15

Micro irrigation systems are fast becoming popular in Haryana as the State Government gives upto 85 per cent assistance to the farmers on drip irrigation and 31,784 hectares of area has sofar been brought under drip irrigation   up to the financial year 2012-13.

While stating this here today, a spokesman of Haryana Horticulture Department said that during this Five Year Plan that is 2012-13 to 2016-17, the department has a plan to cover 90,000 hectares of additional area under micro irrigation for horticultural crops. For the current financial year, a financial outlay of Rs 90 crore has been approved under National Mission on Micro Irrigation and higher allocation shall be given to this sector in the remaining years of the Five Year Plan, he added.

            He said that with a view to conserve water and enhance production and productivity through precise irrigation technologies, micro irrigation   systems like drip irrigation and sprinkler irrigation systems are being promoted in the State on a large scale.  By using   this system, 40 to 50 per cent saving in water has been observed with increase in productivity from 10 to 50 per cent in various crops.

            He said that National Mission on Micro Irrigation was started in the year 2006-07 and the State Government is giving financial assistance to the farmers of the State on drip irrigation system.   While pointing out that Haryana receives rainfall   during monsoon and its distribution is erratic and uneven which results into acute water shortage, he said that to meet requirement of water,   farm ponds are constructed at farmers’ fields to store water and farmers are able to irrigate the plants with the stored water during the period of scarcity of water. 

            For construction of water farm ponds, the department is providing 100 per cent assistance to the farmers and all these ponds are built by farmers themselves. The farmers can build tank from small size to large size and assistance available is from Rs. 50,000 to Rs. 15  lakhs. The assistance is being provided under National Horticulture Mission. During the year 2012-13, farmers have constructed 317   farm ponds and an amount of Rs. 9.89 crore was given to them as assistance. So far a total of 2816   tanks have been built since 2006-07 to 2013-14 and a total assistance of Rs. 117 crores has been disbursed during this period to the farmers.

            He said that this model has gained popularity with the farmers of the State and farmers are building not only large tanks connecting these with the orchards, but also tanks of small size to irrigate small fields and   to use water for poly-house cultivation. The farmers are encouraged to diversify into the field of horticulture and more than 8000 hectares of area has been  brought under horticulture due to this component. This activity has also generated local employment. On an average, for a size of 1.74 lakh cubic feet of size 132 feet x 110 feet x 12  feet, 1835   mandays are generated out of which 522 are skilled and 1313 are unskilled, he added.