YOJANA VOL44 JUN 2000

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under the rural infrastructure development fund (RIDF) ...... industries will be able to secure a higher ...... Vadodara, ...... In~ia will increase the software exports.
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( Development DiaryLJ I !

RELIEF FUND FOR DROUGHT HIT The government has sanctioned Rs. 30 crore from Vrime Minister's Relief Fund for nutrition of Worn en and Children in drought affected Rajasthan and Gujarat. Calamity relief fund and plan assistance to the two states would also be considered for release in advances on requirement basis. Rajasthan was sanctioned Rs. 20 crore from the P.M.'s relief fund and Gujarat would be given Rs. 10 crore. NABARD has also released a loan of Rs. 146.70 crore under the rural infrastructure development fund (RID F) to the states of which Rs. 90 crore is for rural roads and the remaining part for constructing check dams.

development project. The state's health sector is seen as one of the mos~ vulnerable in India and public spending on health is liow by international standards and in comparison to other states.

GENETHrALLY ENGINEERED RICE, COTTON I

The Asian Development Bank (ADB) appears extremely upbeat about India's economy predicting a growth rate of 7 per cent in 2000-2001, arguing that political stability and nuclear-related sanctions haverailed to adversely affect the nation's development process. Its report '2000 Asian Development Outlook' released in Washington, noted that India's growth rate 6.8 percent in 1998 and 5 per cent in 1997, would touch 7 per cent this year and the higher growth path would be sustained in 2001.

Indian Council of Agricultural Research has launched a project to deJ1eloPgentically engineered cotton, rice and pigeon pea. The project is one of ICAR's 19 projects under World Bank-funded ~ational Agricultural Technology Project (NATP). The first deals with transgenies while the other three seek to identify novel plant genes for that confer resistance to insects, "Pyramiding" or accumulating genes for resistance to leaf rust fungal disease in wheat, and improvement ~f neem-based pesticides. The projects aim to use biotechnology to develop varieties that a~e high yielding as well as resistant to major pests, which will minimise their pesticids requirement and be environmen~ally safe. As part ofth~ project to develop genetically engineered ,cotton, rice andl pigeon pea, scientists have identified three major genes (rom a common soil bacterim Bacillus thuringenis.

WORLD BANK AID FOR INDIA

COTTON TEXTILE EXPORTS UP

The World Bank has approved nearly $ 750 million in loans for several projects in India, bulk of the money being allocated to developmental schemes in Uttar Pradesh. Its cleared a $ 512 million package for- three projects aimed at assisting economic and social development in Uttar Pradesh. Rajasthan will receive some $ 100 million for rural development while a $ 142 million project for immunisation to protect children against polio has also been cleared. The projects approved for Uttar Pradesh include a $ 2S1-million loan for a fiscal reform and public H'structuring project, the first sub-national single tranche adjustment loan provided by the bank in India. It is intended to assist the state government implemen~ a comprehensive set of reforms in a host of areas including public expenditure management, tax policy and administration, civil services anti-corruption and financial management and accountability. The package for Uttar Pradesh also has a $ 150 million loan for power sector restructuring, seen as being critical for the achievement of fiscal sustain ability in the m'edium term and for meeting energy requirements. The bank is also providing $ 110 millions for a health system

Exports of cotton textiles jumped 13.40 per cent during the first quarter of2000, thanks to boom in exports to the USA, South Korea and Japan. However, exports to the European Unidn in general and Germany in particular has declined sh~rply as a result of market disruption due to antidumping duty on Indian textiles. The US, witH exports ofRs. 645.51 crore, remained the leading market for Indian cotton textiles, recording a 26.98 per cent growt~ over Rs. 508.35 crore worth of exports in the first three ,months of 1999. Although Bangladesh maintained its second position, exports to that country was lower at Rk. 331.93 crore. South Korea emerged as the third leadi~g market with a 64.99 per cent growth achieved during the quarter at Rs. 302.13 crore. Exports tot~e European Union declined to Rs. 848.55 crore from Rs. 1882.85crore, bringing down its share in total cotton textile exports to 20.37 per cent from 24.03 per cent last year. This is largely attributed to sharp fall in exports to Ithe leading ,market of Germany at Rs. 152 crore from 'Rs. 197.86 crore during the period. I Exports to Italy were up at Rs. 170.39 crore from Rs. 155 crore and thosel to France were down to Rs. 71.23 crore from Rs. 80 crote.

ADB PREDICTS 7 P.C. GROWTH

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(Collrtesy : Newspapers)

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June 2000

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Jyaistha-Asadha,

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Chief Editor: M.M. Lall Editor: Mahadev Pakrasi Assistant Editor: Madhu R. Sekhar

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Maitra

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qOlono 4

MANAGEMENT SURVIVAL D.N. Tewaii

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NATIONAL AGRICULTURE ANVIL. M.M. Lall

OF WATER RESOURCES FOR

POLICY ON

11 EXIM POLICY 2000-2001 B. Bhattacharyya 14 INTEREST RATE CUT-PROS AND CONS K. R. Sudhaman 16 DOTS-STRATEGY M.M.PURI

FOR TB CONTROL

19 DEVELOPMENT OF WATER RESOURCES AND IRRIGATION POTENTIAL IN A&N ISLANDS S.C. Pramanik, R.P. Dubey, N. Ravishankar &' A.K. Nair 21

AUGMENTING AIRPORT INFRASTRUGTURE FOR AIR FREIGHT M.C. Harbola.

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PRECISION AGRICULTURE-AN EMERGING CONCEPT Chinmay Biswas & A.V.M. Subba Rao

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GREEN REVOLUTION-HOW GREEN IT IS? K.K. Singh, Mehmood Khan & M.S. Shekhawat

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PEOPLE'S PARTICIPATION R.K. Bhatnagar

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INVESTMENT OPPORTUNITIES TELECOM SECTOR Yogendra Shukla

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GEOGRAPHIC INFORMA nON AGRICULTURE G.P. Reddy & P.S.B Anand

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SOCIAL MARKETING-A CONCEPTUAL STRATEGY FOR ALTERNATIVE SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT Dhrubajyoti Pati

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FROM VAT TO CENVAT Mohan Prasad Shrivastava

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CONSTRUCTED TECHNOLOGY WASTEWATER Jagadish Chandra

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BOOK REVIEW

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ISSN-0971-8400



Sub Editor: Manogyan R. Pal

Senior Correspondents:

1922 • Vol. 44 : NO.6.

The views expressed in various articles are those of the authors' and not necessarily of the Government.

IN GOVERNANCE IN INDIAN

SYSTEM AND

WETLANDS-A LOW COST FOR SUSTAINABLE MANAGEMENT Paul /

ManagelDent of Water Resources for Survival D.N. Tewari

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WATER IS PRIME natural resource, a basic human need and a precious national asset. It is needed in all aspects of life and health, for producing food, industrial activities, energy generation and maintenance of environment for sustenance of life ~d development.

Besides extracting the best performance from the existing investment system let us manage our surface and -groundwater resources in an integrated manner by creating social awareness, public participation and ensuring dedication of implementing . agencies.

The total water resources of the country are approximately four percent of the world's fresh water resources, whereas the country's population is slightly more than 16 percent of the global population. As per estimate of National Commissioner for Integrated Water Resources Development, total annual water resources of the country is 1953 km3• However, theutilisable quantities of water drawable from the annual resources are only 1086 km3 which is the sum of 690 km3 drawable from'surface water resources and 396 km3 drawable from groundwater sources. Thus water availability is adequate to meet the requirements at the national scale. However, national water resources do not form a single pool from which water can be transported/transferred to all the points of need. The availability of water is very unevenly distributed over the country. There are regions with hannful abundance and regions with acute scarcity. Official statistics put th~ number of drought affected districts in the country during 1999-2000 at 126, spread over II states. Floods and droughts cause damage sometime~ simultaneously in different parts of the

Dr D.N. Tewari is Member, Planning Commission. 4

country. The economic survey of 1999~ 2000 stated that only 90 percent of urban areas and 92.5 percent of rural a~eas have access to drinking water. In fact, the government ,is supposed to make drinking water available throughout the country as per Minimum Needs Programme (MNP) within 5 years. It is undeniable that a large part of the problem can be solved by revival of local and traditional water storage structures, innovative methods of water harvesting and integrated watershed development. Wherever feasible, artificial recharge and rainwater harvesting have to be encouraged. Public awareness, sense of ownership and women's participation haye to be encouraged to make water supply programme more efficient and effective. People's participatory institutions and Panchayats and municipal bodies should be encouraged to shoulder the responsibility of maintaining local water supply system. To redu~e the gap between demand and supply, water conservation measures be accorded highest priority in areas facing water quality and scarcity problems, with emphasis on recycling/reuse of waste water for nondomestic uses. To restore and maintain water quality and ensure environmental sustainability, action is needed on a wide front under water resources protection and conservation, water use efficiency, water quality management, drainage and control of waterlogging and salinity, control of water pollution, development and application of clean technology, groundwater protection, monitoring and surveillance of water resources and water receiving wastes. The holistic management of water as a finite and vulnerable resource and the integration of sectorial water plans and programmes within the framework of national economic and social policy, are of paramount importance for immediate action. The fragmentation of YOJANA June 2000

responsibilities for water resources development among sectoral agencies is proving an impediment hence effective implementation and coordination mechanisms are required. Tanks, ponds and groundwater were recognised as sources of local water supply. Unless these sources are made effective drought condition may . continue in water scarcity areas. The tank system is a collection point of runoff providing a pond for pisciculture, a source of silt for fertilizers and material for construction, a recharge structure for groundwater, a source of drinking water for livestock and above all an irrigation source for cultivation of crops. Like tanks and ponds, several water conservation measures like 'nadi', 'tankas', roof-top collections, step wells, 'oorams' were used traditionally in different parts of the country. During 1950, there were about 5 lakh tanks in the country of which 46,800 had command area less than 40 ha each. The total number of irrigation tanks increased to about 15.13 lakh in 1986-87. Later .•on construction of tanks were not given any priority. They are mainly located in eight states, namely, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal, which together account for over 95 per cent of the total tank irrigation. However, due to silting, neglect and irregular maintenance of tanks the irrigation potential and supply of water .from tanks fell drastically. This would amount to capital loss of about Rs. 5000 crore at the present price levels.

Priority Renovation and modernisation of tanks and other local water resources have to be given priority. Desiltation of tanks and possibilities of raising their banks may be examined. Reforestation of the catchment areas of tanks, restoring unlined canals to their original capacity, strengthening and improving tank bunds or anicuts and other YOJANA June 2000

associated structures as the case may be as well as watershed conservation measures along with such improvements or correction in the distribution network as the users feel necessary may be attempted.

Integrated Treatment In a watershed, construction of check dams, contour trenching and bunding, gully plugging afforestation and such other measures help to conserve water, soil and recharge of ground~ater. Integrated watershed development help in drought proofing, improving environment and sustainable development. This is an area where people's participation is most important. At every stage, the people concerned must be involved in planning, implementation and development of local water resources. The participatory approach to watershed development would secure the commitment of people to execute, monitor and maintain the project after completion. The idea of an integrated treatment of all lands in a watershed was adopted by multipurpose Damodar Valley development project. The Damodar Valley Corporation set up an interdisCiplinary department of soil conservation, which functioned as such and built a series of small tanks and ponds, afforested their catchment, reclaimed land to give 'land for land' during future dam construction, and controlled gullies through check dams and plantations. It also introduced fisheries in the tanks. Over the years, after the project was completed, instead of the experience being replicated, departmentalisation have taken over, as in all other fields. In the 1970s the idea of integrated watersheds was revived by the soil conservation department. The approach was made one of the conditions of financial assistance to the centrally sponsored schemes fo~the treatment of the catchment areas of selected river valley projects and of flood-prone

rivers. The Fourth Five Year Plan proposed comprehensive treatment of all types of lands "on a complete watershed basis". The concept had since been reiterated in all plan documents, the emphasis being on small local watersheds of 1,000 to 2,000 hectares. A series of integrated development projects for local areas were started in 1970s and early eighties, first by the Ministry of Agriculture and ICAR and . later by the Ministry of Rural Development-variously called at different times, dealing with rural area development, employment, poverty alleviation and wasteland development, the Ministry of Planning and Programme Implementation and Ministry of Environment and Forests. There have also been several externally aided projects funded by the World Bank, EEC, KFW, DANIDA, SOC and aDA. Some states like Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Orissa and Rajasthan also started watershed development programmes on their own, with some successes as at Jhabua in Madhya Pradesh.

Artificial Recharge The Central Ground Water Board, on its part, has suggested and also experimented with a number of measures for artificial recharge of ground water-water spreading, recharge through wells and induced recharge from surface water bodies. Such measures would also form part of integrated watershed development. I

The significant points to be noted from all these efforts are: (I) most of the initiatives have come from Government of India often from Ministries, other than the Ministry of Water Resources, which now has a mandate for coordination in relation to diverse uses of water, (ii) all the programmes show an unrealised concern for coordinated action to achieve the mix of objectives and departmental schemes and the 5

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programmes continue as before & (iii) while the recent programmes and guidelines emphasise the necessity for consultation with the participation of the community and the people, as well as equitable distribution of benefits, all of them visualise the government departments and functionaries playing the key role. A number of social activists and voluntary organisation have shown growing interest in local watershed development, either in itself or as part of integrated development of a village or area. Sukhomajri, Tejpura, Nalgaon, Daltonganj, Ralegon Siddhi, Jawaja, Adgaon, Alwar, Kotwa-Rahimabad, etc., are well known examples and have been widely discussed and written about. Amongst the many voluntary organisations, the contributions of the Pani Panchayats ofMaharashtra, Tarun . Bharat Sangh, Mysore Resettlement and Development Agency, Action for Food Programme, Society for Promotion of Wasteland Development, UtthanCentre for Sustainable Development and Aga Khan Rural Support Programme are quite significant. In Delhi, INTACH has prepared a detailed plan for augmentation of local water resources through restoration of old structures, water-harvesting, conservation and recharge of groundwater. A number of studies and evaluations have been made of the different kinds of programmes and projects undertaken by different agencies. The report of the Planning Commission's Committee on 'Twentyfive Year's Perspective Plan for the Development of Rainfed Areas' (1997) gives extracts of a number of recent case studies that are very instructive. We give below, in a summary fashion, the more important lessons that could be gleaned from the large number of studies that have been made.

Government Programmes • 6

Relative to the size ofthe problems

techniques and to use local traditional knowledge. They had also several important lessons:

and the potential and the magnitude of resources devoted to these activities, integrated watershed development is still in its infancy and at a largely experimental stage. •







The mutual relationships among the voluntary organisation, the beneficiary groups and the local government institutions (panchayats)-recently set up at three levels in each district, as constitutionally mandated, has to be carefully worked out.



Almost all the 'integrated' programmes remain fragmented in terms of sources of funds and responsibility for implementation. A collage of schemes implemented by different vertical departments does not get automatically coordinated.

Panchayats functioning like clones of the state government and/or over-politicised, vitiate the atmosphere needed for cohesive community involvement.



The coordination mechanisms in the form of coordination committees were hardly effective.

Equitable sharing of costs and benefits is a difficult objective to achieve but has to be worked out and all sections should have faith in the arrangements and confidence that they will be faithfully followed.



Special arrangements for benefits to the landless (who may contribute through their labour) through access to common land and benefits therefrom will be necessary.



The dilemma of choosing the appropriate technology arises at least after the simple phase is over. Voluntary organisations are most successful in dealing with social issues, but not all are equipped to deal with the technical problems. Traditional knowledge of the people can neither be ignored nor romanticised. Perhaps, the only solution is experimentation and trial and error method. This may involve unintended costs, which have to be borne.



The success ofthe projects depends a great deal on the quality of leadership. Under dedicated and competent leaders, who work for the good of the community, the people are willing to come together, cooperate and even sacrifice. There are examples of decline after

Even as the local integrated approa:ch was being emphasised and was getting a favourable response from the people, the proliferation of schemes by the ministries has continued. Each scheme had its own built in rigidities.



The absence of provision for follow-up action and continuing management.



Integrated watershed programmes like other area development programmes were not looked upon with enthusiasm by most departmental heads, who believe more in vertical delivery than in horizontal coordination at the local level.



Though people's participation was emphasised, it was mostly forinal even when sought. People's involvement at all stages was rarely achieved.

Other Projects . Compared to government programmes, the projects undertaken by local communities, voluntary organisations and activists were more .relevant to each location, had greater people's involvement and were flexible and innovative. They have also shown keenness to evolve cost-effective

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change of leadership. The replicability of projects of VOs/ people is found to be difficult because of absence dedicated leadership.

Conclusion , The contribution of water to ecorromic productivity and social wellbeing has to be fully appreciated. The holistic management offresh water as a finite and vulnerable resource, and the integration of sectoral balance and programmes within the framework of national economic and social policy are of paramount importance for action. Integrated water resources management should be based on the perception of water as an integral part of the ecosystem and social and economic good whose quantity and quality determine the nature of its utilisation. To this end, water resources have to be protected, taking into account the functioning of aquatic ecosystems and the perenniality of the resources, in order to specify and reconcile needs of water in human activity. In developing and using water resources, priority has to be given to the satisfaction of basic needs (such as drinking water) and the safeguarding of eco systems. The following actions have to be initiated on priority basis: i)

and other local water sources are to be considered as priority task. The programmes need to be planned and implemented on watershed basis taking into account the comparative technoeconomic feasibility of renovating existing tanks vis-a-vis construction of supplementary tanks upstream and downstream. iy) Integrated watershed development programme should be given priority for soil and water conservation, arresting degradation of catchment areas and restoring ecological balance of the area.

The holistic managemen~ of fresh water as a finite and vulnerable resource, and the integration of sectoral balance and programmes within the framework of national economic and social policy are of paramount importance for action. v) Ideally, water supply and liquid wastes management scheme should be integrated and for this, it is necessary that water supply programmes are not taken up without simultaneous approval of sanitation/waste water disposal programmes.

Integration of measures for the protection and conservation of potential sources of water supply, including the inventorying of water resources with land use planning, forest resources utilisation, protection of mountains and slopes and river banks and other relevant development and conservation activities.

vi) Flood and drought management, including risk analysis and environmental and social impact assessment.

ii) Wherever feasible, artificial recharge and rain water harvesting have to be encouraged instead of looking only for new and distant sources of water supply or tapping vast depleting groundwater.

vii) A number of reservoir construction projects continuing over the long period must be completed on priority basis. Rivers, lakes and wetlands have to be cleaned quickly.

iii) Renovation and utilisation oftanks

(viii) Mobilisation of water to water

YOJANA June 2000

stressed areas particularly in arid and semi arid regions and ensuring drought proofing. (ix) Public awareness needs to be created for reducing water consumption. Women participation is to be encouraged to the maximum as they face the drudgery of water scarcity. x) Development of public participatory techniques and their implementation in decision making particularly the enhancement of women in water resources planning and management. xi) Due importance should be given to local water planning, with the basic aim of .making each rural area managing its own water needs as far as possible through water harvest, conservation measures and watershed development. xii) There is a need for optimum use of local sources o(water even in canal irrigated area in the interest of efficiency of water use, extension of irrigated lands, prevention of waterlogging and increased productivity. Thus, the challenge before us is to ensure that people must have better access to a potable water-supply and to sanitation services. Sustainability of food pr~duction depends on sound and efficient water use. More water is needed for energy generation, for crucial industrial activities and for maintaining environmental health to ensure the sustainability of developme~t. The problems are not beyond the resource availability and present state of knowledge and technology. Besides extracting the best performance from the existing investment system let us manage our surface and groundwater resources in an integrated manner by creating social awareness, public participation and ensuring dedication of implementing agencies. 0 7

National Agriculture Policy on Anvil

of Central plan assistance to states. Once the work plans are finalized the identified ongoing Centrally sponsored schemes will be discontinued. The funds available under them will be used to provide assistance to states for the work plans. The proposal has/heen discussed with the state governments and the broad contours of the work plans in different states have been finalised through consultation. An outlay of Rs. 1850 crore has been proposed for the scheme for the remaining years of the Ninth Plan.

M.M. Lall

'THE GOVERNMENT

The government proposes to shift from a programme oriented approach to macro management mode to operationalize the regionally differentiated strategy in agriculture sector. This will ensure that the allocations to this sector find timely and effective application in intended areas. 8

IS preparing a draft National Agriculture Policy and an announcement to this effect will be made shortly. It aims at realising the vast untapped potential of Indian agriculture, strengthen rur~l infrastructure; promote value addition and accelerate the growth of agro-business. The policy will help create employment in rural areas and secure a fair standard of living for the farmers and agricultural workers and their families. It is also envisaged to meet the challenges arising out of the economic liberalization an~ globalization.

Without underscoring the achievement of the Green Revolution in imparting dynamism to the growth in foodgrains production in the country, it is admitted that its impact has, largely, remained restricted to the well-endowed irrigated areas of the country, leading to disparities across regions, crops and sections of farmers. There are large variations in the yields among semi-arid and Green Revolution areas. High potential areas like the Eastern and North Eastern Regions are still lagging behind in production enhancement efforts. There are also vast disparities between the actual and potential yields of many crops, pointing to the technological gaps which still need to be addressed.

This was disclosed at the Editorsi, Conference on Social Sector Issue~.in! Delhi recently. This is the second meeting of its kind to be held. The government is to give high priority for doubling food production during the period from 1997-98 to 20072008. The action plan envisages a de~ailed strategy and specific programmes to substantially increase, the supply of various food items in such a way that the demand for these items is met and some exportable surplus is , also available.

The average productivity levels' in India are still low, both compared to the yields. in the country as also the yield levels achieved by several other countries. Indian agriculture is also characterised by low levels of fertiliser consumption and mechanisation compared to other countries. The sector is characterised by low seed replacement rates; less than 20 per cent of seed is produced in the original sector. Further, only about 50 per cent of credit is met through institutional sources.

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The government proposes to shift from a programme oriented approach to macro management mode to operationalize the regionally differentiated strategy in agriculture sector. This will ensure that the allocations to this sector find timely and effective application in intended areas. The state-wise work plans, comprising regionally differentiated crop/areal specific interventions and formulated in an interactive mode, will be the basis

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The Ninth Plan was fonnulated to launch a regionally differentiated strategy, based on agro-climatic regional planning (taking into account the agromatic climatic and environmental condition). This is YOJANA June 2000

expected to realise the full potential of growth in every region, narrow down regional and crop imbalances, and thus, ensure food and nutritional security. The development strategy in the Ninth Plan is essentially based on the policy oHood security, Le. to double food production and to make the country hunger-free in the coming decade. To supplement the efforts of the state governments for increasing crop productivity and production, various crop production oriented schemes are being implemented. Emphasis is being laid on the transfer of improved crop production technology through organization of Front Line Demonstrations (FLDs) and field demonstrations on farmers holding. FLDs are organised through ICARSAU Research system to demonstrate frontier technology of crop p~oduction on farmers field. Well organised training programmes are conducted to educate and make fanners aw~re of the new technologies. Some of the major initiatives to increase the agriculture production in the country include formulation of a programme for on farm water management, launching a technology mission in the integrated development of horticulture in the North Eastern Region, a technology mission on cotton provision of capital subsidy for construction and expansion of cold storages for horticulture produce, creation of a watershed development fimd and strengthening of agriculture marketing. A new scheme of National Agricultural Insurance has been introduced in the country from the Rabi season of 1999-2000. The scheme is available to all fanners, loanee and nonloanee, irrespective of their size of holding. It envisages coverage of all the food crops (cereals, millets and pulses), oil seeds and annual horticultural! commercial crops, in respect of which yield data is available for adequate number of years. Three cash crops i.e. YOJANA June 2000

sugarcane, potato and cotton will be covered in the first year of its operation. All other annual horticultural and commercial crops will be given insurance cover within the next three years subject to the conditions of availability of past yield data. The new scheme would operate on the basis of 'Area Approach' i.e. defined areas for each notified crop for widespread calamities and on an

A new scheme of National Agricultural Insurance has been introduced in the country from the Rabi season of 1999-2000. The scheme is available to all farmers, loa nee and nonloanee, irrespective of their size of holding.

adopt modern technologyand improved agricultural practices is another objectives. A model Kisan Credit Card scheme, introduced in 1998,' is being implemented by the rural financial institutions. Banks provide the Kisan Credit Cards to eligible farmers and sanction production credit of Rs 5000 and more. The credit given under the scheme is a kind of revolving cash credit and provide for any number of drawls and repayments within the limit.

The government's objective is to achieve Samagra Gramin Vikas. All issues of basic needs of people in rural area would be addressed on a priority basis. The developinent of land and improving the quality of life of people are two primary means to achieve this objective. Provision of basic services such as rural housing, rural roads and drinking water would receive focussep attention. Imparting primary education individual basis for localized calamities and providing primary health and such as hailstorm, landslide, cyclone . nutrition are the other critical concerns. and flood. Individual based assessment Pradhan Mantri Gramodaya Yojana in case oflocalised calamities would be encompasses all these aspects. implemented in limited areas on The government proposes to launch experimental basis initially and will be a National Rural Connectivity extended in the light of operational Programme. To begin with, an experience gained. The insurance allocation of Rs.2,500 crore is being scheme is expected to provide the mucheannarked for rural connectivity. In the need insurance cover to a vast majority first phase, all villagers with a of Indian fanners. population of more than 1,000 will be It has also been decided to set up an connected with an all-weather road. The exclusive organisation for Ministry of Rural Development has implementation of the scheme. Until the recently constituted a National Rural new set up is created, the General Roads Development Committee under Insurance Corporation of India (GIC), the chairmanship of Mr. Nitin Gadkari will continue to function as the for this purpose. Its report is expected implementing agency. to be available shortly. At present more than 50 per cent of the villages in the Many policy initiatives have been country remain without an all-weather taken for strengthening the rural credit road. delivery system to support the growing credit needs of the agricultural and rural Another major concern is the sectors. The emphasis is essentially on shortage in rural housing. The augrnenting flow at .,the ground level government has recognised housing for through credit planning and aqoption of all as a critical need. The 1991 census region-specific strategies. Rationalshowed a shortage of 137.21akh houses. ization of lending polices and As against 53 houses constructed under procedures to enable the farmers to the Indira Awas Yojana so far, it is "-

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proposed to build 12 lakh houses under the scheme this year at a cost ofRs. 150I crore. In addition, 13 lakh houses are also expected to be built in 2000-200 L It is also proposed to provide equity support of Rs. 100 crore to RUDCO during 2000-200 I. With this enhanced equity support, the RUDCO would be able to raise further resources to facilitate the construction of about 9 lakh houses in rural areas this years. Construction of hou'ses is also being taken up in,the cooperative sector and through voluntary organisations. Launched in April 1999, the credit cum-subsidy scheme for rural housing targets rural families with an annual income up to Rs.32,000. While subsidy is restricted to Rs. 10,000, the maximum loan amount that can be availed of is Rs. 40,000. The subsidy portion is shared by the centre and the state in 75:25 ratio. The loan portion is to be disbursed by the commercial banks and housing financial institutions etc. During the current financial year a provision of Rs. 100 crore has been earmarked for this scheme to construct 1.33 lakh houses. Innovative Scheme An innovative scheme for rural housing and habitat development was launched last year. This will encourage innovative, cost effective and environment friendly solutions in building/housing sectors in rural area. An allocation of Rs. 10 crore has been made this year for its implementation. It has also been decided to set up rural building centres. The primary objectives of these are technology transfer and information dissemination, skill upgradation through training and production of cost effective and environinent friendly materials. Two building centres in each state will be set up by during the current financial year on pilot basis. One centre will be set up by a government institution and the other by a non-governmental organisation. An one-time grant of 10

Rs. 15 lakh will be provided for setting up a rural building centre.

the Department Supply.

The Samagra Awas Yojana will be launched on pilot basis in one block each of 25 districts of 24 states and union territory. These blocks have been identified for implementing a participatory approach under the accelerated rural water supply programme. While the existing schemes for housing, drinking water and sanitation will follow the normal funding pattern, a special Central assistance of Rs. 25 lakh will be provided for each block for undertaking overall habitat development.

Development of the village level infrastructure is sought to be achieved through the Jawahar Gram Samridhi Yojana. Launched on IstApril1999, by restructuring the erstwhile Jawahar Rozgar Yojana, the Jawahar Gram Samridhi Yojana is implemented in all the Gram Panchayats of the country. This scheme is being implemented by the Gram Panchayats. Funds are released directly to t~em by the district rural development agencies/Zilla Parishads to make the programme more effective and meaningful. The Gram Panchayat is the sole authority for the preparation of annuaL action plan and its implementation with the approval of the Gram Sabha. .

New Department The agenda for governme'nt envisages availability of potable drinking water to all villages in the next five years. A new Department for Drinking Water Supply was created in October last to achieve this objective within a definite time frame. The outlay for this department has been enhanced to Rs. 2, I 00 crore this year from Rs. 1807 crore. At present, about 83.35 per cent of rural habitations are covered with drinking water facilities. In additio~, 14.80 per cent are partially covered. The remaining 1.85 per cent habitations remain without safe drinking water sources. So far, more than one lakh piped water supply scheme have been carried out and over 30 lakh handpumps have been installed for providing drinking water to the rural population with an investment of about Rs.27,000 crore. In the rural water supply sector, the main issue relates to sustainability ofth~ systems which become defunct owing to inadequate and poor operation and maintenance. Other problems include the sources going dry due to rapid depletion of ground water and becoming quality affected, primarily due to contamination by excess fluoride, arsenic, salinity and iron. To tackle these problems, projects are taken up under the sub-mission programmes of

of Drinking Water

The Central government has revamped the rural development programme by introducing sector reforms. This envisages institutionalizing community participation by adopting a demanddriven, responsive and adaptable approach with emphasis on the empowennent of user communities and it also envisages the changing role of the government from that 'of a provider to that of a facilitator. In the revamped programme, provisions for partial capital cost sharing (l 0%) and full responsibility of operation and maintenance on user community has also been made. Fifty eight districts have been identified for the implementation of sector reforms on a pilot basis and so far 52 pilot district projects have been approved.

New Initiative Another new initiative which is being launched relates to the Annapoorna scheme. The objective of this initiative is to provide funching of flights, delay in passenger clearances etc. are resulting in a higher dwell time in case of export cargo at these airports. Further, due to resource- cmnch, no proper development and upgradation programme in respect of ground handling facilities, night landing syskms, cargo handling etc. at some of these airports have taken place.

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Governments around the world are taking ---.... the decision to privatise the airport~ or giving on lease the major sub-components of airport to private sector owing mainly due to fiscal constraints. ICAO forecasts predict worldwide growth in air traffic at 5% per annum or doubling in volume of traffic once in' 14 years. The Asia Pacific region is set for higher than average growth. Indian airports are likely to handle 3 lakh tonnes of domestic and 12 lakh tonnes of international cargo, according to reliable estimates. The volume ofIndia's overseas trade moving by sea as well as by air has recorded a considerable growth in the post liberalization era. While in case of trade moving by sea, the increase has been almost double, rising from 109 million tonnes in 1990-91 to 202 million tonnes in 1997-98, the increase in air

j

Measures Required Against the above background, it has become necessary to take up measures for the development of modern airports I equipped with the type of grourd infrastmcture which keeps pace with the growth of traffic. Construction and I development of such airports are highly capital-intensive, which may not be -possible for the 'government to take up oJ1its own due to resource cmnch, since in the past, development of such infrastmcture was the responsibility of the state. In view of this, the private sector participation in such projects I becomes all the more necessary and this is already being encouraged in many I countries abroad. I

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Governments around the world are taking the decision to privatise the airports or giving on lease the major sub-components of the airport to private YOJANA June 2000

;;'ector owing mainly due to fiscal Devanahalli International Airport near To provide airport infrastructure constraintS:---For example, JFK Airport Bangalore, in Karnataka is leading the cap.acity in accorda"lce with in USA has already given terminals I way towards private participation demand, ensuring maximum and' 4 to private investors for alongwithAAI ~nd the state government utilisation of available capacities development and operation of services through the Karnataka State Industrial and efficiently managing the/ and a number of Asian airports Investment -Development Corppration airport infrastructure by including the. newly commissioned (KSIIDC) as the other partners. increasing involvement of private airport in Hong Kong have also Hyderabad in Andhra Pradesh is. sector; .decided to go in for induction of private following suit. To encourage private,sector sector participation in the airport sector. Besides, the Union cabinet has, in participation in (i) construction The UK and other countries in western principle, approved corporatisation and operation of new airports/ Europe,. South Africa, Australia and of five airports, namely, Delhi, ai rs tri ps/h eli pads/he I i ports New Zealand are some other countries Mumbai, Calcutta, Chennai (all including cargo complexes. express which have repottedly. taken up steps international airports) and Bangalore. cargo terminals. cargo satellite towards privatization of airport . Each corporatised airport will be a cities and cargo handling management and services. Drawing a separate entity covered by the facilities; and (ii) upgradation lesson from their experience, the Companies Act of 1956 so as to help and operation of existing involvement of private sector in the them to raise equity. airports/airstrips/hel ipads/heliports development and operation of the in consultation with the major ajrport facilities seems to be existing operators including cargo necessary to bring in more efficient Besides, the Union complexes. Express cargo decision-m~king. India's geographically Cabinet has, in terminals, cargo satellite cities strategic location from the point of and cargo handling facilities; principle, approved air traffic }TIoving east and west has not been properly tapped because Indian corporatisation of five To permit foreign equity airports have ignored development partICIpation up to 74% with airports, namely, Delhi, of facilities commensurate with the automatic approval and 100% with requirement of growing traffic. Even in Mumbai, ~alcutta, special pennission of government; smaller countries airports avthorities Chennai (aU. and such as Sing~pore and Dubai have international airports) built huge airports and cargo complex To encourage. private sector and Bangalore much ahead of their requirements. role in aviation support services, The meteoric rise of both these cities e.g., training institutions for can be directly linked. to the grO'wth in pilots, maintenance personnel, Policy Initiatives security staff and air-traffic trade and tourism enabled by the The draft New Civil Aviation Policy controllers. airports. prepared by the government has been The private sector participation circulatecl-for inviting comments from The slow progress in building up includes participation of state all concerned. The policy, among airports ,infrastructure of int~rnational government, urban local bodies, private others, lays emphasis on private sector standards in the country is also companies, individuals and participation in the aviation sector as' reportedly due to bureaucratic joint ventures on Build-awn-Operate a whole and particularly in the indecision in giving timely clearances (BOO) basis or any other pattern of construction/upgradation/operation of to the projects. The proposed new new as well as existing airports. With a ownershi.p and management international terminal at Delhi 'airport, depending upon the circumstances. view to promoting the private the new domestic terminal for the Mumbai airport are some examples of investment, improving quality and _ Thus, it has been realised that the the delays. efficiency and increasing competition in policy has to change in response to a this vital sector of economy, creation rapidly transforming global scenario. In India too, a beginning has already of a conducive competitive regulatory although the process of transformation been made towards induction of private fram~work with minimum controls is has to be progressive, orderly and sector in the area of airports with the also contemplated. The policy on safeguarded. Looking at what has been construction and commissioning of the development of airport achieved in other cOl1ntries" there is a Kochi International Airport at infrastructure, inter alia, has the wide gap which needs to be bridged Nedumbassery in the state of Kerala. following broad objectives: first. 0 /

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YOJANA June 2000

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Precision Agriculture-An Emerging Concept

insecticides and fungicides are applied at an uniform rate throughout the cropfield. Precision agriculture emphasizes on this aspect and deals, with judicious crop management at micro level wherein only required amount of inputs are applied.

Chinmay Biswas and A.V.M. Subba Rao

Food security has been threatened by declining, productivity, soil salinity, micronutrient deficiency; water logging, ground water depletion and development of resistance and resurgence in pests. To alleviate the ill effects of excess and under application of inputs a new form of farming, Precision Agriculture, is on the way.

For efficient nutrient and water management the first and foremost step' is. to assess the soil fertility and soil moisture availability of each subdivided zone in the field. Soil parameters can be studied either through samplipg or scanning. In case of sampling fields are manually sampled along a regular grid at sample spacings ranging from 60150m and the samples are analysed for desired properties. Scanning can be done directly (invasive) or remotely. In invasive, sensing near infrared (NIR) seems to be an important method for scanning soils at 700-2500nm. Soil clay content, cation exchange capacity (CEC), organic matter content etc. can be measured by NIR and soil moisture can be measured through GPR (Ground Penetrating Radar). The results of these analyses-are interpolated to unsampled locations by inverse distance or geostatistical techniqu.es and the interpolated values are classified using geographical information systems (GIS) techniques into limited number of management zones. The boundaries of management zones are then visualized using mapping software, and

THE PRIMITIVE KNOW-HOW of crop cultivation has been transformed into modern agriculture through the ages and it is still changing and evolving according to the economic, social and environmental needs. It was aptly uttered by Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru that everything can wait but not the agriculture. In the post green-revolutio~ era, imbalanced fertilization, excessive irrigation and indiscriminate use of pesticides have undermined th~ sustainability. The food security has been threatened by declining productivity, soil salinity or alkalinitYI micro-nutrient deficiency, waterlogging, ground water depletion and development of resistance and resurgence in pests. To alleviate the i1I~ effects of excess and under-application of inputs a new form of farming called "Precision Agriculture" is on the way. It is that form of agriculture where sitespecific management practices are adopted giving due considerations to the spati~l variability of land in order to maximise crop production and minimise the environmental damage. Land is heterogeneous in nature. Soil: fertility status Le.nutrient content varies. from one place to another even in the _ same field. The population of weeds is r never uniform throughout the'crop-field and the population dynamics of insect- ' pests also shows a variable pattern. When a pathogen attacks a crop the disease intensity may not be same throughout the field. Sometimes diseases appear in patches leaving many disease-free zones. But in conventional agriculture without considering these variables fertilizers, herbicides,

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Chinmay Biswas and AVM. Subba Rao are agricultural scientists (lCAR), Modipuram, Meerut.

f\'1/s

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management recommendations are developed for each zone. The management recommendations and mapping boundaries are stored on a computer chip which is placed in a computer on board a tractor, spreader, or seeder able to vary management according to its location in the field and the map boundaries. Remote sensing has been used in soil mapping, terrain analysis, crop stress, yield mapping and estimation of soil organic matter but on a scale larger than what is required for precision agriculture. So targeted sampling may be guided by preliminary infonnation from remote sensing. But rem?te YOJANA June 2000

sensing with very high resolution power can be used for recording the soil parameters. Based on -nutrient content and soil-moisture regime of different zones location specific need based fertilization and irrigation are done. Weed Management : It is based on dynamics of weed population, spatial distribution of weeds in management zones and crop-weed interaction. The management strategy consists of better . prevention, improved decision making and improved control measures. Weedfree zones are located before adopting the control measures. To reduce the amount of herbicide used an integrated package comprising of biological, chemical and mechanical measures is developed. The management packages vary from one ione to another according to the weed count and their species. Pest-Disease Management: Overapplication of pesticides leads to the problem of chemical residues in soil as well as in the produce whereas application at sublethal doses may lead to the development of resistance and resurgence in pests. So, it is essential to apply appropriate amounts of pesticides.

TOWARDS SPEEDIER .... (Contd.from Page 13)

In preCiSIOn agriculture doses of insecticides are recommended on the basis of the population dynamics of pests in management zones and disease management strategy is based on the disease incidence and disease severity of various subdivided zones.

High initial investment:

Advantages

Hi-tech nature: Precision agriculture

Conventional agriculture with blanket application of inputs may not be able to meet the food requirements of the burgeoning population. Precision agriculture is the need of the hour to achieve food security and sustainability.

is highly dependent technologies.

Enhanced productivity:

Precision agriculture is a direction of research rather than a destination. The highly technology-oriented imported version of precision agriculture may apparently be found unsuitable in Indian agriculture, be much research is needed in this direction to ascertain the feasibility of precision agriculture in Indian context and if possible to indianise the package through amalgamation with low cost technologies considering the scope and limitations of Indian farming situation. . 0

'Precision agriculture envisages precise packages of crop cultivation at micro lev~l which enable to increase the productivity.

Better utilization of resources: Need based approach makes utilization of resources.

judicious

Eco-friendly:

Precision agriculture minimises the environmental damage.

Limitations: Precision agriculture has some limitations point of view.

from the practical

almost become infractuous. Sectors where substantial export opportunities exist which also currently fall under the SSI category include toys, leather and garments. Third, there should a relook at the-labour laws. Many export industries suffer from seasonal fluctuations and, therefore, flexibility in terms of labour requirements is very critical for economic viability. The government has proposed that the units in the special economic zones would be treated as public utility. This implies that production cannot be disrupted by strikes. This is a major step because adherence to delivery schedules is a sine qua non for success in exports.

Whether the Chines experience can be replicated in India is anybody's guess. However, certain policy adjustments will definitely be required to make this scheme effective. First, foreign direct investment must be allowed without any pre-conditions. It has been reported that the Ministry of Commerce has proposed that 100 per cent FDI in the special economic zones may be permitted. There will also not be any sector-specificity while approving FbI proposals. This change, if effected, will be helpful in attracting more FDI in the special economic zones. Second, the policy of small scale sector reservation needs to be reconsidered. A . Conclusion Dl}ring the last three decades, exportlarge number of sectors where Chit}.ahas import policies have tried to promote emerged as a global leader are in the exports by extending incentives through small scale sector, such as toys. With \ special schemes. It has tried to protect the removal of the quantitative the domestic industry through rigorous restrictions, the reservation policy has YOJANA June 2000

Precision agriculture needs high initial investment for layout, and the establishment of assessing and monitoring systems.

Sampling: Collection of large number of samples is cumbersome costly.

as well as

on sophisticated

Expertise-a

need: Because of its hitech and knowledge based nature precision agriculture needs sufficient expertise.

import control measures. With the economic refonns taking roots in India as well as because of the obligations to the WTO as a member country, there has to be a paradigm shift in the thrust and contents ofthe EXIM policy. Under the new trading rules, protection to the domestic industry can be given only through tariffs. Quantitative restrictions through the licensing mechanism are not WTO-consistent. Similarly, barring a few exemptions given to the least developed and sbtp.e developing countries, export incentives are not maintainable under the WTO rules. In such a scenario, the objective of the export-import pplicy should be to ensure that transactions costs are minimised through simplification of . systems and proceduFes as well as mechanization. This year's EXIM policy is a major step towards the direction.

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. 'Green Revolution', growth has been uneven. The 'Green Revolution' has been confined to the Punjab, Haryana, Western U.P. and coastal districts of A.P.

Green Revolution-How Green It Is ?

The tenn 'Green Revolution' was coined i.n 1968 by Dr. William S. Gaud, K.K. Singh, Mehmood Khan and M.S. Shekhawat - Director of the U.S. Agency for Interna!ional Development (tJSAID), to describe the breakthrough in foodgrains production caused by introduction and rapid diffusion of the OR ABOUT A decade sinqe semi-dwarf wheat and rice varieties in independence, the country depended on India, Pakistan and other parts of the large import of foodgrains, A neW developing world. Istrategy was developed in the mid-60s. Its main components are-greater This strategy was in'the form of a intensity of cropping, increasing use of package programme woven around high agricultural inputs like high yielding yielding varieties (HYV s) and included varieties of seeds, water, fertilisers, other inputs such as adequate irrigation, pesticides and cx:edit. Sever~l chemical fertiliser, plant protection institutions have been set up to ensur chemicals, mechanisation of timely and adequate supply of inputs. agriculture, supply of electricity, credit A network of extension programmes'ha~ and marketing facilities on co-operative. brought science and technology closer basis and a system of superior prices and to the farmers. Measures have been buffer stocking. The idea was to undertaken to introduce land reforms. demonstrate how productivity could be A remunerative pricing policy aQd raised without increasing the area under systematic arrangement for the cultivation. \ procurement and distribution of foodgrains have reinforced the strategy. First Green Revolution

F

On the ev,! of the 21st century, the challenge before us is to sustain food secu,:~ty. Environmental , conservation and conservation of •.. natural resources base will be the key to realisation of the aim. What our country needs now is a third Green revolution.

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Agricultural production has grown at an annual compound rate of2.8% in the last decade. A record production of over 150 million tonnes was achieved during 1983-84. I

The tempo of production has been' maintained because ofthe special drives that are launched to ensure timely and adequate supply of seeds, fertilisers, pesticides, water, implements electricity and credits. If is creditable that the increase has been maintained despite power shortage, drought in many parts of the country and uneven and erratic monsoon.

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The response to the procurement I drives has been high and it has created problems of storage.' f N o t WI'th s t an d'mg th e b ene f't' . ,______ ISO

Mis K.K. Singh, Mehmood Khan and M.S. ~hekhawat"arefrom Project Directorate, Agriculture and Soil Survey, Bikaner.

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The first wheat variety having short plant height, lodging resistance and higher 'grain yield 'Norin 10' was brought to U.S.A. by Dr. S.C. Salmon in 1948 (rom Jap,:!n. Dr. C.A. Vogel evolved first spring dwarf wheat variety "Gaines" in Washington State of U.S.A. by using Norin dwarfing genes of Japan arid later Dr. Norman E. Borlaug (man behind green'r,evolution) and cowork~rs evolveq a number of dwarf spring wheat varieties at Mexico. Mexican varieties of wheat Lenna Rojo64 Sonora-64 were ~irectly introduced in the initial period in India through Swaminathan and Shri C. Subramaniam (then Minister for Ag'riculture, Govt. of India). Considerable attention was later given to hybridisation of Mexican material with Indian varieties. To tackle , In . the.pro bl em 0 f spec I'fiIC de fi'IClencles

0:

Me~ican varietie~ s~ch a~red,colour grams, new vanetIes hke Sharbati

YOJANA June 2000

26 I

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5. Inter Crop Disparities production offoodgrains (record output of 182 million tonnes) in 1983-84 was The agriculture revolution initiated, hailed by the Government as the second by the HVY programme was restricted Rice varieties grown in India mostly . Green Revolution. Eastern and Central to only five crops, wheat, rice, jowar, belong to the sub-species Indica ~of states including W.B., Bihar, Orissa, bajra and maize and progress in major Oryza sativa. Years ago, the chinese M.P. and eastern D.P. made tremendous commercial crops, viz. oilseeds, cotton scientists came across a spontaneous progress in recent years. and jute is very slow. The production / mutant in va~'iety 'Dee-gee-woo-gen'. and productivity of wheat, rice and First Green Revolution of 1967-68 Evolution of "Taiching native" .by maize have gone up, but the area and was the result of introduction of new accrosing a tall Indica, "Tsai yuen production of coarse grains and pulses chung" with 'Dee-gl?e-woo-gen' in . high yielding varieties of Mexican have declined in most of the geoTaiwan and "TR-8" (Miracle Rice) from Wheat and dwarf rice varieties. The climatic regions. Barley, jowar, bajra second Green Revolution. of 1983-84 "Peta" a tall Philippine Indica variety and pulses are showing steady decline was the result of expansion in supplies and Dee-gee-woo-gen at International in their area and production. In addition and inputs and services to the fanners, Ri se Research Institute (lRRI), to all this, pulses have not registered any extension and water managemen( Philippines in 1960's, brought a real increase in area, production and revolution in rice production and these -Drawbacks productivity. two Indica varieties helped to dispel the old notion that only Japonica varieties Gr~en Revolution' h~ been 1. ~6. EcologicalimbaJance of rice are capable '~f responding to confined to Punjab, Hhryana, As a matter of fact, the area, fertiliser doses. In 1965-66, both the Western D.P. and costal area of A.P. - production and productivity of wheat varieties were introduced in India and 2. The production of pulses and and rice have shown substantial increase subsequently recommended for oilseeds, however continues to be during the last three decades. The commercial cultivation. Efforts were low. The revolution has also thrown continued adoption of Rice-wheat made to transfer drought tolerance to up some problems of waterlogging, cropping systein or monoculture since semi-dwarf varieties and as a result soil salil!ity and loss of natural Green'Revolution has brought out some some short duration dwarf varieties like nutrients. ~cological prgblems like depletion of Bala, Cauvery and Akashi were forest and pasture lands, reduction in 3. The Green Revolution has come to released. biodiversity, decline in soil fertility, be associated with not only higher India realised "F irst Green lowering of underground water table, production t~r~ugh enhanced Revolution" in-1967-68. A good year of water-logging (improper use of productivity,. \but also with rainfall coupled with efforts to improve irrigation water canals), salinization several negative ecological and production with a new technology (accumulation of soluble salts in upper social consequences. The new resulted in record foodgrains production layer of the soil), problems of soil strategy has caused inter-regional, of96.5 million tonnes in 1967-68. First erosion, deterioration in the quality of intra-regional and inter-crop green revolution was confined to environment (soil, water and air. disparities in agricultural income. Punjab, Haryana and western D.P. p~il1~tion), emergence of several The progratmne could neither bring diseases like malaria (due to stagnation the rural poor above the poverty Second Green Revolution of water and dense vegetation) blue line nor could generate Subsequently, a number of new baby syndrolne (nitrate toxicity' in employment in rural area at the vaTleties of wheat and rice have been drinking water) and cancer (toxic desired level. developed by the Indian Agriculture residues present in the grains), health Scientists and adopted by the fanners 4. The HYV's have had a dis'hazards (use of toxic chemicals), and of the country. The diffusion of HYV, criminatory impact and they are poor sustanability of agricultural land. however, became fully operational in intensive. in their use of input The aggravatIng problem of land the country, during 1965-66 in which materials, especially irrigation, degradation is the result of its over about 17000 ha. of land was brought fertilisers and market. Owing to exploitation due to increasing biotic under HYV, especiaIly in the Sutlejthree constraints, within a pressure and decrease in size of land Ganga Plain and the Cauvery delta and geocl imatic setti ng, the large holdings. In 1951, India had 0.33 ha. of thatJndia is now exporting wheat and fanners and early adopters have available land per capita which was rice to Bangladesh, China, Russia, S.W. been substantially benefited from reduced to 0.20 ha. in) 983 and likely Asian Countries, Ethiopia, Afghanistan the new seeds, while the small and to be further reduced to 0.15 ha. by the and East Europ~an. marginal farmers have been left year of 2000 A.D. Modern farming on behind. The spectacular increase in

Sonara', 'Pusa Lerma', 'Kalyansona' and Sonalika' were developed.

27

YOJANA June 2000

"

such a small holdings, is becoming less and less productive and remunerative. /Denudation of forests, loss of genetic resources, loss of crop l~md,soil erosion and desertification, trace air gas, water pollution, acid rain and -hazardous wastes are also some of the issues which demand serious thinking and timely action. According to Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR, 1989), "Sustainable agriculture is the successful management of resources to satisfy the changing hUlnan needs, while maintaining or enhancing the quality of environment, and conserving natural resources." 7. Imbalances in production productivity

and

The adoption of HYV s has t~us brought about environmental changes which are detrimental to soil fertility, deleterious to agricultural sustainability and injur}ous to human health. The reduction in biodiversity in the areas of Green Revolution may have long tenn serious ecological consequences. The ecological cost of agricultural development in India is thus quite high and the new seeds of staple food are resulting in new socio-economic and environmental problems. The population growth rates from 360 million in 1952 to 850 million in . 1994 is outstripping the agricultural growth. There is still imbalance of nutrition and inequality in availability of food to all sections of society. Shrinking crop area, fast degenerating natural resource base, declining useefficiency of inputs and dwindling output-input ratio, have rendered crop production less & less remunerative. Irrigated rice yields or'lndia are one of the lowest in the South-East Asian Region. Poor soil and water management are the major constraints. India is still spending crores of rupees in importing vegetable oil. The widening gap between the demand & supply of edible oil, is a warning signal for the policy makers. The more

28

disturbing features are the stagnation in productiQn of commodities like pulses, oilseeds and the low productivity of the rainfed/dry land farming areas. They cover 70 per cent of the cropped area and contribute hardly 40 per cent of the total country's foodgrains production accounting for most of the commodities which are in short ~upply in India.

species, fruits, vegetables medicinal & other commercial crops' and make agriculture an attractive and profitable business. Moreover Model water management techniques to optimise water use efficiency suited to specific farming situation, need to be developed. Most viable soil & water conservation and utilisation technologies need to be assessed. Use of sprinkler and drip irrigation in problematic area and horticulture crops calls for prioritisation. To ensure hydrological sustainability of intensively irrigated cropping systems, long term water use plans are to be developed.

Agriculture research that seeks to generate new technologies, needs to be reoriented to suit the current and likely future changes, opportunities and constrains. Emerging technologies will need to have at least three qualities i.e. highly productive, profitable and ecologically sustainable. I

( Integrated

With the advancement of science and technology, market competitiveness and quality consciousness modernisation and mechanisation of farming system, have become important. Already prototypes of improved machinery like seed drills, puddlers, weeders, threshers, sprayers, dusters, reapers, decorticators/ shellers, sugarcane/cotton/rice planters and seeders are available.

Pest Management

(IPM) Indiscriminate use of pesticides has already affected the ecological balance in certain areas resulting in resistance against -pesticides, environmental pollution, pest resurgence and residual. effects. IPM is utilisation of the best techniques as an effective remedy to the' pest problem of major crops viz., cotton, rice, sugarcane, tpbacco and a wide range of pulses and vegetable. IPM is eco-friendly & cost effective too.

Number of post harvest processing equipment have been developed by the State Agricultural Universities and ICAR Institutes. However, there is great potential to develop newer innovations for value addition to farm produce to make' Indian agriculture globally «ompetitive and profitable.

Integrated Nutrient Management should be encouraged to bring out sustainability in crop production. We cannot produce the required food, with Integration of various agriculture the use of organic manure alone. But enterprises viz., crops, dairying, chemical fertilisers can be a substitute horticulture, poultry, goat rearing, at least partly by organic sources viz. piggery, fishing, forestry etc. in fanning FYM/compost, bio-fertiliser, green has become indispensable. If one thinks manure and inclusion oflegumes/pluses ~.to make agriculture, a profitable in cropping system. The main purpose profession, concerted efforts are needed is to maintain soil fertility for sustained to reorient the crop production systems agriculture productivity and research towards Integrated Multiprofitability on long term basis. Enterprise Farming Systems Research. In resp