Alarm for irrigation
After the independence, thinkers, policy makers and planners gave importance to irrigation in agriculture. More than half of total output in agriculture was and is given to irrigation. If we see the table below, we can clearly analyze the situation of increasing scenario. Year Gross sown Net sown Gross irrigated Net irrigated Cropping intensity (%) area area area area 51-52 133234 119400 23180 21049 111.6 61-62 156209 135399 28460 24884 115.4 71-72 165186 139721 38430 31546 118.2 81-82 176750 141928 51412 40503 124.5 91-92 182244 141490 65097 49867 128.8 95-96 186561 142215 71510 53508 131.2 During my visit to villages especially Saurashtra and Coastal areas, I noticed that recently they have more than enough water to irrigate their crops. Whoever has the facility of irrigation, they are using water like anything. Even in coastal area, they knows the critical issue about the effect of saline water on land, they are using water mo...