KOHIMA, SEPTEMBER 19: Taking note on the unpredictable erratic climatic condition and changes over the past few years, Parliamentary Secretary for Irrigation & Flood Control, N Jacob Zhimomi, maintained that all aspects of the CADWM programme need to be taken up in all integrated and coordinated manner so as to achieve the envisaged objective of raising foodgrain production to meet the increasing need for growing population.
He said this at the inaugural function of a two-day training on “Command Area Development and Water Management” (CADWM) under the aegis of North Eastern Regional Institute of Water & Land Management (NERIWALM), Tezpur, and Nagaland State Irrigation & Flood Control Department, which got underway today at Irrigation & Flood Control Chief Engineer’s office conference hall.
Jacob informed that the Ministry of Water Resources has set new guidelines and schemes that have been proposed adding in the process a lot of time and energy had been invested by the expert team to study the environment in the various regions of the country.
Stressing on the need for sufficient foodgrain to meet the demand of the population, Zhimomi asserted that ‘our knowledge and approach of the traditional style need to be converted to a scientific approach to maximise productivity’.Through this training, he was optimistic that the engineers will upgrade their skills and propagate proper utilisation of water and help attain self sufficiency in agri-allied sectors and contribute to the GDP of the State as well.
At the same time, Zhimomi asserted that it is mandatory that CADWM programme has to be implemented in a holistic manner with irrigation project under PMKSY so that irrigation potential created with hydraulic connectivity gets utilised soon after its creation, improved water use efficiency, increase agricultural productivity and production and brings sustainability in the irrigated agriculture in a participatory environment.
The various components under CAWDM programme, he pointed out were survey, planning and designing of on-farm development works comprising of construction of field channels and also land leveling, shaping and realignment of field boundaries where necessary, extension, renovation and micro irrigation.
Zhimomi also said that the Nagaland Farmers Participation in Management of Irrigation Systems Bill 2013, which was enacted and passed in the Assembly in March 2014, required for formation and recognition of Water Users Associations (WUAs) while implementing irrigation schemes in the State.
It lay down the procedure for WUAs so formed by the farmers to manage the irrigation system developed by them. Participatory irrigation management through establishing and strengthening WUAs is an integral and important component of CADWN programme, he said.
State’s I&FC, Chief Engineer, Er. S Kughaho Sema. while pointing that scarcity of water has been the most severe constraints affecting agricultural development and production, expressed hope that the training will endeavor to develop and manage land and water resources and increase agriculture production for improving the economic health of farmers of the State.
Though many engineers have already attended similar training conducted by NERIWALM in the past, he however, asserted that it assumes greater significance today with the effects of climate change already being felt in local microcosm, with unpredictable pattern and intensity of rainfall and rise in temperature becoming a reality.
Noting the late arrival of rainfall during last few years in the State, Sema said excessive rainfall has caused several landslides including heavy erosion of the top soil, while period of drought resulted in failure of crops due to scarcity of water as well as poor management of the available water.
He, therefore, said the subject matter of the training on CADWM was most relevant and needs to be translated at the project field level for hill states like Nagaland with its fragile “ecology and environment.”
Course coordinator Dr. AC Debnath, Associate Professor (WRE) NERIWALM, said the two-day training will cover CADWM programme and irrigated agriculture, preparation on DPR for CADWM project, farm development works on CADWM programme, participatory irrigation management, irrigation outlets etc. He said CADWM’s work mainly concentrates on water management sector and stated that due to climate change the Government of India is pressing CADWM to come up with more development programmes to meet the demand of availability of water.
Dr. UM Hazarika, Assistant Professor NERIWALM, is also part of the resource person for the training.
Earlier, the programme was chaired by Additional Chief Engineer, I&FC, Er. Tsuktinungsang, while the vote of thanks was proposed by Superintending Engineer, I&FC, E Hotovi Ayemi.
