Urging state governments to work on irrigation projects to fuel economic growth of rural India and meet the Centre’s target of doubling farmers’ income, finance minister Arun Jaitley on Monday said these projects, vis-à-vis infrastructure, bring “immediate results” in terms of growth.
Speaking at the inaugural session of the fourth “India Water Week”, Mr Jaitley promised the Centre would help the states in such efforts and said: “And the objective of the entire exercise is, even when you have adverse monsoon conditions, the rain-fed areas don’t starve, they still have and they do have benefit of good agricultural crop. And that is going to be the essence.” “You will have a contribution being made by agriculture to India’s economy and, therefore, one of our basic targets today is to make sure the income of our rural population doubles over the next few years. If that is to double, these are the various instruments, including irrigation, that we are using to make sure resources are fed into the rural areas,” Mr Jaitley said, adding, “The past two years were most challenging due to less than adequate monsoon resulting in very marginal growth of the economy.”
Environment minister Prakash Javadekar said on the occasion that due to frequent erratic monsoons, untimely rains and more cycles of drought and floods, it is imperative that water be used efficiently after saving the maximum using the latest technology. “Some of the ways to meet the challenge of climate change are mandating industries to achieve water efficiency, reduce 50 per cent water requirement in industries by adopting recover, recycle and reuse technology, taking up intensive watershed development programmes in all reserved forests, bringing new sustainable sand mining rules, special afforestation programme and effective implementation of a strict pollution regime,” Mr Javadekar added.
While noting that irrigation is “strictly” a state subject, Mr Jaitley said the Centre will help states complete such projects for ensuring availability of water. He also lauded BJP-ruled states such as Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh for their irrigation projects for dry areas and the resulting agricultural growth.
He said the Centre has made its contribution towards improving and creating irrigation infrastructure and said Nabard has been asked to create sufficient funds for large projects, while efforts are being made under the Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sichai Yojana to fast-track completion of unfinished works by 2017.
Union ministers Uma Bharti, Birender Singh, Radha Mohan Singh, Sanwar Lal Jat, Israeli agriculture minister Uri Ariel and Madhya Pradesh chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan also attended the inaugural session of the three-day event.
