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Expert for push to watershed scheme
National Disaster Management former Vice-Chairman Marri Shashidhar Reddy here on Saturday suggested that the State government adopt “Four Water Concepts” conceived by former Consultant to United Nations T Hanumantha Rao.
Hyderabad: National Disaster Management former Vice-Chairman Marri Shashidhar Reddy here on Saturday suggested that the State government adopt “Four Water Concepts” conceived by former Consultant to United Nations T Hanumantha Rao.
It would help avoid water wars between the States. Participating in Dr Marri Channa Reddy memorial lecture on “Water For All -No Water Wars” here on Saturday, M Shashidhar Reddy said the watershed programme was the best option for the government to increase irrigation potential with minimum expenditure, when compared to the major projects constructed by spending crores of rupees.
Shashidhar Reddy observed though Maharastra had made highest allocations for major irrigation and has highest storage capacity, the State recorded highest number of suicides by farmers. The spate of farmers suicides would have come down if the State promoted watershed scheme.
He said the construction of check dams under watershed programme would increase ground water level and also soil moisture and it would help ensure drought-proof conditions all through the year. The “Four Water Concepts” would be propagated on a mission mode in Telangana State.
People would be educated on the need to adopt new techniques for sustainable agriculture development. The main emphasis under this concept is on the utilisation of local rainfall water fully by storing most of it below the ground and using this ground water to raise three crops in a year during drought years.
This eliminates the need to construct major or medium dams across major rivers, thus automatically ending river water disputes and need for tribunals, he said. The Union government prepared guidelines in 2008 and revised them in 2011, but a few States implemented the watershed programme , he said.
Delivering the lecture, Hanumantha Rao said the four water concept brought about revolutionary changes in the irrigation sector in Rajasthan. The State government adopted the technology officially and all drought hit Rajasthan districts showed very good results.
Water started gushing out from even abandoned borewells in some villages, he said. The ICRISAT and other official agencies also followed the suit. He suggested that the Telangana and AP State governments also adopt the technology and reduce huge expenditures on major projects.
