While addressing a conference on the National Water Week this week, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh underlined the brewing water crisis.

It could as well have been called the ‘National Water Weak’ — for this precious commodity for life is struggling to survive. The maximum blame for wastage of water is often put at the doors of agriculture. The Prime Minister also pointed out that agriculture consumes three-fourth of our water resources. He says, “Given the limitations of increasing supply, a large part of any effort to narrow the demand-supply gap must focus on increasing water use efficiency. The National Water Mission sets a target of 20 per cent improvement in water use efficiency. This is particularly critical in the agricultural sector where water use efficiency is low compared to international standards.”

However, even while harping on these facts, especially the need to conserve ground water, there was no mention of organic farming as a means to improve water efficiency or the need to encourage low water crops, such as millets........Read More

Source: Business Standard