‘India addressing climate change challenge through technology implementation, policy intervention’

Acknowledging that fulfilment of Sustainable Development Goals pertaining to water, energy, hunger and climate change was a tough task, Sunil Kumar Ambast, Chairman, Central Ground Water Board (CGWB), Government of India, said in Coimbatore on Monday that the country was exercising the options of technology implementation and policy intervention for mitigation.

While the country’s population grew four times since 1952, per capita water consumption dwindled from 5000 cubic metre per year to 1,400 cubic metre per annum. Water footprint for agriculture in India was much higher than the world average. In the five States with high irrigational growth, the development had come at the cost of water depletion, Mr. Sunil Kumar said, in his key-note address at the inaugural of International Conference on Water and Agricultural Sustainability Under Changing Climate (WASCC) 2024 organised by the Centre for Water and Geospatial Studies at Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, and Association of Global Groundwater Scientists

On energy, he said the Central Government was looking to give a push for scaling up energy supply to farms from existing 2.4 kW per hectare to 4 KW, as it was related to food productivity. A daunting target of 500 GW renewable energy generation by 2030 had been set by the Central Government, he said.

Climate change was the cause for erratic monsoons and higher runoff, leaving little scope for groundwater recharge. Groundwater depletion by one metre would lead to higher carbon emissions.

The CGWB was focussing on harnessing of water in existing ponds, canals and check dams; and other strategies including recycling of waste water for raising crops, integrated usage of surface and ground water, integrated farming, and devising ways to prevent intrusion of saline water in coastal areas.

Inaugurating the three-day conference, Tenkasi S. Jawahar, Additional Chief Secretary to Government of Tamil Nadu, and Project Director, Tamil Nadu Irrigated Agriculture Modernisation Project (TNIAMP), said the State has teamed up with West Bengal and Maharashtra for sharing best practices in agricultural modernisation.

The TNIAMP project was being implemented through involvement of seven government departments and three universities. Courtesy TNAU, tie-ups had been entered into with foreign universities in USA, Australia and Singapore, to foster innovations and undertake joint efforts towards the goal, Mr. Jawahar said.

Presiding over, V. Geethalakshmi, TNAU Vice-Chancellor, spoke of the necessity to emulate Israel in adoption of micro-irrigation practices.

Tamil Nadu had only 2.5 per cent of the country’s water resources, but supported six percent of population. The global warming would necessitate higher requirement water for paddy cultivation.

Climate change reflecting in droughts, flooding and landslides need to be to be addressed through integrated efforts, she said, advocating use and reuse of water, Alternate Wetting and Drying, long-lasting global-level collaborations for fostering innovations, policy framework, precision agriculture and empowering of communities.

Martin Mkandawire of Cape Breton University, Canada, and Maurizio Polemio, Senior Scientist, CNR-IRPI (National Research Council, Research Institute on Hydro-Geological Protection), also addressed the inaugural session.

Published - October 07, 2024 08:58 pm IST