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| It's official: J&K lacks proper irrigation facilities | | Agriculture activities show negative growth in last 3 yrs | | Muhammad Mukaram
Early Times Report
Srinagar, Aug: 27: Despite agriculture being the backbone of its economy, Jammu and Kashmir lacks proper irrigation facilities, as less than half of the net sown area is under irrigation.
According to an official document, the irrigation facility in the state covers only 42-43% of the net area sown while the remaining 56.6% is rain fed area.
"As per average of last five years irrigation facility is available to only 43.4% of the net area sown and the remaining 56.6% is dependent on the rainfall," says the document, a copy of which is with Early Times.
The document says that Kashmir Valley was having enough scope to bring entire cultivated area under irrigation by upgrading the required facilities.
Only 50% of the irrigation potential has been harnessed so far by the government. "A major constraint to the development of agriculture in J&K is the fact that only 50% of the ultimate irrigation potential of the state has been harnessed," it says.
The document adds that due to the lack of the required facilities agriculture and allied activities from last three years are showing negative growth viz -0.47% (2009-10), -1.44% (2012-13) and -5.06% only (2014-15 advance estimates) at constant (2004-05) prices.
"The share of agriculture and allied activities to GSDP also has shown continuous declining trend for last four decades (and)... has scaled down from 56.64% in 1970-71 to 32.58% in 2000-01 then to 28.06% in 2004-05 and posted only 17.49% contribution as per advance estimates for 201415 at constant (2004-05) prices", it says.
Since majority of the agriculture land is not equipped with irrigation facilities, the delay and heavy rains are having an adverse impact on the production.
Besides all these constraints, the successive regimes have not prepared the state to face the crisis in case of dry weather.
"J&K state is also deficient in rainfall; development of irrigation potential in the state becomes necessary for reducing dependence on import of food-grains and other agricultural products," the document reads.
"Annual rainfall and rainy days are decreasing in both the regions of the state except at Jammu where rainfall trend is significantly increasing (12.05 mm per year)."
According to the data, the net area sown in Jammu region in 2011-12, was 378.56 hectares while as in Kashmir it was just 350 hectares. During 2012-13, same figures emerged while as in 2013-14, 384 hectare area sown with the various crops and Kashmir valley lagged behind again with just 352 hectares of its land sown with the favourable crops.
Meanwhile saffron crop of in south Kashmir over the years has been witnessing decline due to the lack of the proper irrigation facilities.
Similarly apple crop in many areas of Kashmir including Baramulla, Shopian, Tangmarg is also being affected due to the lack of proper irrigation facilities. |
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