Correspondent
Kohima, November 29
Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio while stressing on the need for Nagaland to be producing and self-sufficient state today challenged the Irrigation & Flood Control Department to take up the challenge of achieving Government target of “Food for All” by 2025.Addressing the silver jubilee celebration of Irrigation & Flood Control Department, Government of Nagaland at Capital Convention Centre here this evening, Rio said the Government has set up target 2025 – ‘Food for All’ and in order to achieve the target modern technology and innovations must be brought about to increase the state’s productivity.
He said that despite being an agrarian state with 70% of the population engaged in agriculture, the contribution towards the Gross Domestic State Produce is barely 30%.
There is huge deficiency and the Irrigation and Flood Control Department should play a major role in achieving the target of the government. He said that Nagaland agriculture is only dependent of the monsoon rain because of the cultivation is carried out only once a year. “If the monsoon fails, the production is also affected,” he said adding during monsoon we have sufficient water for cropping but during winter there is no water as we do not know water management.
Nonetheless, he said that with advancement of technology people in other parts of the world indulges in double cropping and becomes self-sufficient.
Therefore the irrigation department has to take up water management and also work towards bringing in advance technologies to manage water and help the farmers in the state to carry out double or winter cropping and make the state self-sufficient in food production.
Rio also expressed in the present world political sovereignty has become less important without economic sovereignty, and challenged the technocrats and professionals of the department to come up with innovative ideas to do double cropping by way of using even the river water.
Extending greetings on the occasion, he said that jubilee is a time to introspect and retrospect the performance of the department and set up new challenges and targets for the future.
He also said that the department officials and staff have to frequently undergo refresher courses so that they can enhance their capabilities.
Further, replying to the demand of Parliamentary Secretary Vikheho Swu to rename the IFCD to Department of Water Resources, he said that there are several departments claiming to be working for water management but no one fully take the credit.
IFCD Parliamentary Secretary Vikheho Swu gracing the occasion as guest of honor said that there is a growing need to incorporate Micro-irrigation system under AIBP through Sprinkler and Drip irrigation method which can be favorable to the condition of cultivated land of the state also to enhance the output of the farmers.
He said “in order to achieve the vision of self-sufficiency in food-grains, the goal should not only be to create more irrigation potentials, but should ensure that irrigation potential created is utilized at its optimum level.
He also revealed that the IFCD has proposed for enactment of the Nagaland Farmers Participation in Management of Irrigation System Bill during current year. He highlighted that the draft bill, if enacted will benefit all the Water Users Association by providing adequate, efficient and economical utilization of water resources, to protect the environment and maintain ecological balance and also involve the farmers a sense of ownership of the irrigation system in accordance with the water budget and the operational plan.
“It is through adequate, efficient and economical utilization of water resources the farmers can increase agricultural production to realize the Vision 2025: Food for All’ se by the Government of Nagaland.
Chief Engineer IFCD Echongbemo Lotha presenting the department at a glance said there is a tremendous scope both for minor as well as medium irrigation development in the state having an Irrigation Potential (IP) area available at 1,65,000 Hectare to be developed. He also said that the Department proposes to augment its manpower requirement including creation of Sub-Divisions based on Irrigation potential availability in the third phase of augmentation w.e.f 2013 during the 12th Plan which will require creation of 63 posts of various cadres in addition to the 573 posts existing.
The department was bifurcated out of the Agri & allied department in 1988 as an Engineering Wing, initially headed by a Joint Director and later re-designated as Superintending Engineer. It was later renamed as IFCD in 1992.
