Ingenious techniques for irrigation sustainability in Himalayan and Shiwalik foothill regions

摘要

The groundwater resources of India play a major role in the irrigated agriculture. Therefore, expansion of these resources to increase agricultural production received high priority in the development programmes of the country. The area under irrigation by groundwater through wells is continuously increasing. On the contrary, contribution of canals and other sources is decreasing. However, it is also true that the groundwater abstraction by artificial means in the Himalayan and Shiwalik foothill regions is negligible. Installing deep tube-wells in such regions is a difficult and expensive task. Hence, in the mountainous regions, survival of biodiversity during the lean period of the year entirely depends upon the existence of self-draining groundwater aquifers. They may mark their presence by oozing out water in any form, e. g. springs, seepage lines or streams. Discharge rate and the perennial nature of these aquifers depend upon their catchment areas. Therefore, in this article, hydraulics of these groundwater resources is described and subsequently an effort is made to promote certain ingenious techniques based upon these perennial resources for attaining irrigation sustainability during lean period of the year. In the present scenario of water scarcity in the Himalayan and Shiwalik foothill regions, only such measures have equity and sustainability implications.