A study was done in Maharashtra to gauge the impact of Per Drop More Crop (PDMC) component of PMKSY

ADOPTION

■ Maharashtra state has been a leading adopter of MI since 1980s.

■ Till 2019/20, 25.3 lakh ha (or 42.5% of gross irrigated area) is under drip irrigation.

PDMC scheme has contributed 6.42 lakh ha or 25.4% of MI from 2015/6 to 2019/20.

MAJOR POINTS

■ Cotton: "Despite being a major crop for Maha and ranking 1st by area in India, Maha suffers from very low yields. The main reason for low yields is that the cotton crop is mainly rain-fed and monsoon failure leads to crop failure. Our sample indicated that DI increases yields by almost 80%, which will boost the agri economy, allied manufacturing and rural services."

■ Sugar: "Maha is a water-stressed state. Yet, it is a major producer of a water-intensive crop like sugarcane. Only 3 lakh ha (25.7%) of sugarcane land is covered by DI. This indicates huge potential for adopting DI, increasing yield and saving water. All means including extension services are required to make that switchover happen."

■ Horticulture: "Maha is a horticultural state. Micro-irrigation significantly increases productivity and the production of horticultural crops. Farmers can reap the benefits of the existing marketing infrastructure."

■ Practical issues: "Subsidy for costs needs to continue, especially as maintenance is costly and wear-and-tear to plastic tubes is quite likely.

— Mice and stray animals can physically damage drips. Fencing is required.

— Other measures suggested are: Grid electricity comes to farms mainly at night, and an erratic grid supply creates a risk of malfunction or fires. So solar power should be encouraged.

— Awareness and education of MI benefits is necessary for non-adopters.".