IMPROVING WATER USE EFFICIENCY IN IRRIGATED AGRICULTURE-INSTITUTIONAL AND TECHNOLOGICAL CHALLENGES IN INDIA

摘要

The canal irrigation sector in India suffers from high conveyance and distribution losses, lowwater use effi ciency and poor maintenance; all resulting in soil salinity, waterlogging and tailendwater non-availability problems.In India, irrigation water accounted for 83% of total water use in 1998 that came down to77% in 2010 and is apprehended to further come down to 68% on 2050. An analysis ofWater Use Effi ciencies’ (WUE) was carried out by Water and Land Management Trainingand Research Institute (WALAMTARI) and Command Area Development Authority (CADA)in Andhra Pradesh between 2007-08 and 2009-10. The study covered 14 major irrigationprojects and 6 medium projects. It highlighted that On-farm Application Effi ciencies are aslow as 32%. The CADA and WALAMTARI decided to address this aspect through increasedInteraction with the Water User Associations (WUAs) of the state.