Water

Pilot and Demonstration Activities
Sustainable Management of Water Resources in the Barani Areas of Punjab

The barani agriculture contributes only 10% of the total agricultural production and merely depends on the rainfall. However, more than 1200 kg/acre of wheat have been produced in these areas under rainfed conditions, which indicates a high potential for crop production.

Water is a limiting factor for agriculture development in barani areas. Rainfall is erratic, with spatial and temporal variation being high. Most of the rainfall occurs during monsoons (July to September). An estimated 6 million-acre feet (MAF) of water is lost as surface runoff from these regions annually. Much of the summer rain is not available for agriculture due to surface runoff.

Given the uncertainty of rainfall, farmers normally minimize inputs to reduce the risk of loss in the event of drought. They mainly depend on off-farm income.

However, with proper water resource development and management practices, the barani areas can still harness their potential for increased crop production. One way is to ensure water availability through rainwater harvesting techniques.

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• Evaluate and disseminate rainwater-harvesting techniques in water scarce areas
• Introduce efficient water management techniques
• Utilize available water using high efficiency irrigation systems

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• Inception Report (May 2006)
• Proposal (April 2004) [PDF]