Drip irrigation mandatory for sugarcane crop
The Maharashtra government has made drip irrigation mandatory for sugarcane crops in all the irrigated command areas across the state. More than half the land in Maharashtra is drought-prone and this decision is considered a formidable step towards water conservation.
The government will install drip irrigation system in the fields of total 3.7 lakh hectares in a phased manner within the next two years. The state will provide a loan with an interest rate of only 2%. The amount of loan will be Rs 85,400 per hectare.
In a cabinet meeting held on Tuesday that has been chaired by Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, it was decided that sugarcane crop will not be allowed if the field does not have drip irrigation facility. The cabinet has decided to provide loan to farmers from district cooperative banks.
“The state will borrow long term loan from National Agricultural Bank and Rural Development (NABARD) and it will be distributed through a cycle from State Cooperative Bank (Apex Bank) to District Central Cooperative (DCC) Banks and then to farmers,” said Pandurang Fundkar, minister for agriculture.
He added, “Farmers will get loan at an interest rate of 7.5%. Of which, if farmers repay regularly, the state will bear interest of 4%, sugar mill will bear 1.25% and farmers will have to pay only 2% interest.”
He added drip irrigation for sugarcane is mandatory for both cooperative and private sugar mills. The land that irrigates by the water source of well, river, nullah and lift irrigation schemes has been included in the “mandatory drip irrigation” scheme.
According to the cabinet’s decision, the state has set to bring 1.50 lakh hectare sugarcane field under drip irrigation by the end of 2018. In 2018-19, additional 1.55 lakh hectares land will be brought under drip irrigation. A committee under the additional chief secretary (finance) will be set up to finalise sugarcane field bring under drip irrigation.
“Out of total water available in the state, 70%-80% water is used for irrigation. Drip irrigation will consume minimum water and will produce more crop. It will also conserve pesticides and power,” said the minister.