Irrigation

It is similar to drip irrigation, but less expensive to install. The pitchers are the round earthen containers used in rural areas for water storage, ranging from 10 to 20 liters in capacity. This kind of irrigation is ideal for spreading plants such as gourd, pumpkin, and melon because few pitchers are needed per unit area. It is also very good irrigation for saplings, promoting deep root growth.

Soil and water conservation measures consist of agronomical and mechanical methods. Agronomic methods are supported with mechanical measures where land slope exceeds permissible limits and runoff gains erosive velocities.

The following boxes explain the nature of agronomic measures which are essential in inter-bunded or terraced areas. These practices enhance the utility value of all kinds of mechanical structures.

 Perhaps you are a farmer and you want to practice good water and soil management for your crops and trees, or you own some land and you want to manage it carefully to recharge the groundwater. You may be focusing on what you can do with your own land, or wondering what your community can do, or you may even be thinking at the watershed level.

The Indian Institute of Technology, Madras, Technology for Sustainable Development and the Ecole Polytechnique Federale de Lausanne EPFL have produced a report titled Integrated Approaches for Sustainable Development in Water Resources Sector.

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This report by the Advisory Council on Artificial Recharge of Ground Water, the Ministry of Water Resources, Government of India is divided into the following sections:

This is a presentation is the output of the review and discussion done by the National Advisory Council (NAC) on the provision of the National Common Minimum Programme of the current UPA government. The mandate was managed by the Ministry of Water Resources (MoWR). The presentation looked at the scope and implementation aspects of minor irrigation schemes, potential for supporting schemes of Union Ministries for minor irrigation, existing schemes of MoWR, incentives for tribal and dalit communities, efforts for convergence, issues and points for consideration going forward.

Part A: Improving Rice Productivity and saving Water through System for Rice Intensification (12 minutes)

 The National symposium on System of Rice Intensification: Present Status - Future Prospects was held on the 17-18th November 2006 in Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh.

System of Rice Intensification, popularly known as SRI method, is gaining popularity among paddy farmers in several states in the country in recent times for its potential to save water and increase yields.

This report published by the WWF India and the Xavier Institute of Management, Bhubaneswar  documents the history of the practice of SRI in India in the last few years and presents some of the institutional changes and challenges that SRI throws up. SRI is a fascinating case of rural innovation that has been developed outside the formal rice research establishment both in India and the rest of the world.