Who did this water crisis?
Who is responsible for this water crisis?
Are not we?
Those who are sitting in power, the bureaucracy and those who made agriculture a business for their own profit and greed?
Those who have played with ground water for their own benefit, overall greed and greed played a big role for this water crisis.
In the name of irrigation in agriculture and modernization of agriculture we have used the ground water as much as it is possible without seeing the future of the area, land, population and the Rainfall of the area.
So it can be said this drought and water crisis is of manmade. Poor crop selection or due to greed is the major reason of ground water crisis.
I still don’t understand when in High school I learnt in Geography and in Graduation in Economics that crops which needed water have different areas and geography than Crops which needs less water. But in practical I have seen different things.
Central Govt, State Govt, Common people every one is doing different thing, means crops which needed water were cultivated in those areas where Rain water was less or about no Rain and in the name of Modern Agriculture ground water was used in unlimited and careless way and with poor thinking. Even Govt agencies and Beaureucracy didn’t take a note of this miss did or wrong did.
Even those industries were open in less rainfall area which needed more water or water bottling plant, cold drink factories were being established on the cost of ground water. Sugar cane industry is one of them which are in High number in Maharashtra and Sugarcane agriculture is also there.
Today’s water crisis is the result of all these things and growing population together. And we are deaf, dumb and blind. Today too as if nothing has happened and everything is alright or will be alright in coming days without knowing, that day will not come if we have not taken positive steps towards water management. One more thing which hurts more is that educated people are wasting more water than others. Likewise urban population is wasting more water and showing less concern about water and helping environment than village people.
Today over 25% of our countries (India) population is hit by drought and this crude fact is told by Central Govt to our Supreme Court. The crisis is bigger one, as 33 crore or 330 million people who are living in 2.55 lakhs villages are short of Water.
5 worst water crisis facing states are - from Top to Bottom –
- Uttar Pradesh – Its out of 75 Districts 50 are facing water problem and the population which is affected is 9.9 crore or about 100 million.
- Madhaya Pradesh - It’s out of 51 Districts 46 are facing water problem and the population which is suffering is 4.0 crore or 40 million.
- Maharashtra – Out of 36 districts of this state 21 are under water problem and its affect ted population is 3.7 crore or about 40 million.
- Jharkhand – Out of 24 districts 22 are facing water problem. Affected population is 3.2 crore or more than 30 million.
- Karnataka - Out of 30 districts 27 are facing drought. Affected population is 3.1 crore or more than 30 million.
It is interesting that the centre has not mentioned the crisis in Gujarat despite the state itself has admitted that its 637 villages are facing water problem.
Agriculture - The Indian cropping season is classified into two main seasons-(i) Kharif and (ii) Rabi based on the monsoon. The kharif cropping season is from July –October during the south-west monsoon and the Rabi cropping season is from October-March (winter). The crops grown between March and June are summer crops. Pakistan and Bangladesh are two other countries that are using the term ‘kharif’ and ‘rabi’ to describe about their cropping patterns. The terms ‘kharif’ and ‘rabi’ originate from Arabic language where Kharif means autumn and Rabi means spring.
The kharif crops include rice, maize, sorghum, pearl millet/bajra, finger millet/ragi (cereals), arhar (pulses), soyabean, groundnut (oilseeds), cotton etc. The rabi crops include wheat, barley, oats (cereals), chickpea/gram (pulses), linseed, mustard (oilseeds) etc.
Rice – Rainfall needed 100 to 200 cm yearly. It is a kharif crop. Rice cultivation is concentrated mainly in the Northern plains which have alluvial soils and adequate water supply. West Bengal is the leading producer of rice. The average annual rainfall required by rice is 150 cm.
It is the dominant crop in areas of over 200 cm annual rainfall and is still an important crop in areas of 100-200 cm rainfall. The 100 cm isohyets form the limit of rice in rained areas. In areas receiving less than 100 cm annual rainfall, rice can be grown with the help of irrigation, as is done in Punjab, Haryana and western U.P. About 40 per cent of rice crop in India is raised under irrigation.
The fields must be flooded under 10-12 cm deep water at the time of sowing and during early stages of growth. Therefore, the fields must be level and have low mud walls to retain water. This peculiar requirement of rice makes it primarily a crop of plain areas. Rice grown in well watered lowland plain areas is called wet or lowland rice.
Sugarcane:
India is known as the original land of sugarcane. It is sown before kharif season and harvested in winter. It requires about 100 cm of rain. Many new varieties of sugar such as gur and khandsari are produced from sugarcane.
Jute:
Jute was called the golden fibre of Indian sub continent. India is the second largest producer of Jute in the world after Bangladesh. It is a fibre plant and requires high temperature and rainfall above 200 cm. Jute grows well in well-drained fertile soils or in the flood plains.
Cotton:
It is a kharif crop and is known as the king among fibres. India is the fourth largest producer in the world. It requires warm climate and high temperature. There are three varieties: Long staple, Medium staple and Short staple. India mostly produces medium and short staple. Gujarat and Maharashtra are the leading producers of cotton.
Hope Govt. (Central and State), Society and Common People will think about it. An Awareness program will be taken regarding this water crisis, Industry and Crops.
The End for a New beginning.
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