Maharashtra uses most water to grow sugarcane

According to the Indian Institute of Sugarcane Research, Lucknow, Maharashtra uses the highest amount of water for sugarcane production in the country. As per the latest report, released in April 2016, by the institute, Maharashtra uses 292 litres of water for production of one kilogram of sugarcane followed by Karnataka at 266 litres. Water resources minister Girish Mahajan has expressed concern over the excess water use and said farmers have been given a deadline of two years to shift to drip irrigation and avoid excess use of water. However, a water expert has said that switching to drip irrigation would not resolve the issue completely.

As per the report, Maharashtra and Karnataka are followed by Andhra Pradesh, which uses 262 litres per kilogram sugarcane production, Tamil Nadu (181 litres), Punjab (135 litres) and Uttar Pradesh (99 litres). With the surplus water use, Maharashtra’s average yield is 82.1 tonnes per hectare while Tamil Nadu has the highest yield of 103.6 tonnes per hectare.

“Yes, it is a serious issue that excess water is being used for the sugarcane crop,” Mr Mahajan told the The Asian Age. “But we cannot completely stop farmers from sowing sugarcane. Instead, we have told them to shift to drip irrigation, which can reduce water use. In my Jalgaon district, we have shifted to drip for bananas. The Centre has given two years for adopting the drip irrigation and we have started awareness campaigns among farmers,” Mr Mahajan added. The state has also made drip irrigation compulsory on the selected schemes of water supply. The schemes include Tembhu in Satara, Bhima (Ujani) in Solapur, Mula in Ahmednagar, Nimna Manar in Nanded, Hatnur in Jalgaon, Urdhva Pus in Yevatmal, Kanholi Nala in Nagpur and Amboli in Sindhudurg, the minister said.

However, Dr Pradip Purandare — a retired associate professor from Water And Land Management Institute, Aurangabad, who is involved in water issues — has expressed fears that drip irrigation might increase the area in which sugarcane is cultivated. “Bringing maximum agricultural area under drip irrigation is possible. But implementation of the scheme isn’t simple. The people take permission for drip and increase the sugarcane cultivation area. There is no planning at the government level to bring the agricultural area under drip irrigation and no evaluation also,” he said, adding that irrigation projects that came after 1987 are known as eight-monthly irrigation projects. The water of the project is supplied through canals for kharif and rabbi seasons (which last eight months) only but not in the summer season to save water. However, with the drip irrigation, perennial crops like sugarcane might be produced in summer too.