Irrigation

Micro irrigation in India

Access to safe drinking water and sanitation, reliable water-supply for agriculture and industry, and protection against droughts and floods are essential for human and economic development, says a World Bank report “Water for shared prosperity” released recently at the 10th World Water For

Women play a central role in providing, managing, and safeguarding water. Yet, the waterscapes across the world are distinctly gendered in that productive use of water gets ascribed to men while reproductive use gets ascribed to women. That is, drinking water and sanitation are considered a woman’s domain, while irrigation is regarded as a man’s domain.

Rising gall bladder cancer in India

Agricultural productivity continues to be low in South Asian economies such as India. For example, the average paddy production per hectare in India is 3590 kg, which is much lower compared to 6686 kg per ha.

Irrigation, vital for agriculture, involves supplying water through artificial means like pipelines and sprinklers. It enhances crop yields, accounting for 17% of global agricultural land and 40% of cereal output. India, with limited resources, irrigates 64.7 million hectares, enabling multiple harvests.

India is widely acknowledged as one of the most water-stressed countries globally, exacerbated by the stark reality that it hosts 17% of the world's population but possesses only 4% of the world's freshwater resources.

How do you save water? By using less of it? It sounds simple, but defining water use is more complex. Is it the amount of water drawn from the ground or piped supply for crop irrigation? Or is it the water consumed by the crops themselves to grow?

Can traditional tanks help Bengaluru in reviving its groundwater levels and in preventing the growing water crisis that the city is currently facing?

Traditional tanks in South India

Urban India is sucking groundwater at frightening rates