irrigation tips from an arid country

This is response to article titled Irrigation tips from and arid country published in The Indian Express, written by Ashok Gulati and Gayathri Mohan. 



Dear Dr Ashok Gulati Ji

I always read and try to learn from your columns appeared in the The Indian Express. Your articles always provide me food for thought to question myself and try to think how I can contribute to Indian agriculture as a whole through my ideas and works. 

I found your above mentioned article in TIE daily dated July 3, 2017. Some my sincere opinion and questions which I am putting before you.

On 17th of June world celebrate UN desertification and drought day. I was to participate in the workshop held in soil and water conservation department head office in Chandigarh on behalf of my department. This workshop was organised the S&T council of Punjab and Dept. of soil and water conservation, Punjab to educate few of officers like me. It was just eye wash and formality to celebrate the day as was being celebrated in the other parts. After workshop I was left with question that 'Are we moving in the right direction?' and jotted my feelings in form of blog and shared with concerned dept people and scientists. 

After reading your piece I am questioning myself 'whether we really helping the cause to solve the problem of water crisis in Indian?' and 

'Why our policy-makers and intellectuals are missing the forest for the woods?'

How we can help the India to water self-sufficient?

India is water scarce country with water availability less than 1500 cum and 78 percent of fresh water consumption in agriculture. As demand of food production is increasing to feed large population and fresh-water is becoming scare qualitatively and quantitatively with climate change further putting us in the dark zone. We need to augment the water supplies and use water efficiently but do we following the right steps?

There is not water literacy in the agriculture universities specifically. There is not sensitivity and awareness among scientific and student communities, about value of water as precious resource. I have always writing and discussing that do not we need to integrate and dovetail the conservation of water with every component of agriculture? I have written many a times and discussing with people of agricultural community to start thinking about xeri-agriculture, xeri-landscaping, less water intensive agriculture, which is going to be the future. I have written in my above blog how water has been saved, conserved and used efficiently in IIAS, Shimla since Viceregal time, and what is happening in Punjab. Down the famous Mall road of Shimla is large water tanks to conserve water and then to supply water to city. So, is the efficient water system established in IIAS, Shimla for fire-proofing and to irrigate the Dufferin's prized English gardens. This is just mere one example how we can think and impart such thinking among our agricultural graduates and scientific community. 

Our traditional knowledge about water conservation is so much diverse, eclectic and sophisticated that it does not come into the picture and is not trusted upon to solve the problem of water scarcity of country. So, bottom line is that we need to integrate the water conservation and efficient use with the agriculture curricula and need to trust the traditional earthen engineering to solve the problems, rather over relying on the technology for over populated nation like India with poor resources in terms of finance. 

Any scaling up of technologies needs the right policy environment is prime factor if really want to serve the discussed cause. Free electricity and water whole set of people and farmers free riders in the state like Punjab and pushed the state in the dark zone and over exploitation of water. The story of Punjab and its water-use-policy do not require much to elaborate. Now, I find mentioning of can Modi government usher in reforms to price water and power appropriately for irrigation purpose is insipid and poor in taste. How can Modi government or any central government only can bring the reform and change when power and water is state subject?

Despite well documentation and lot of socio-economic studies of water-use policy of states like Punjab and their crop pattern, does any state government tried to reform it? During the inauguration of last Kisan Mela vice-chancellor of PAU, Ludhiana was mentioning that Punjab can not shift area from rice to other less water intensive crops. Rice has not less that prime place in the research and development works in the plant breeding and genetics and biotechnology departments of state. Students are illiterate about the water scarcity and challenges. Kandi area in Punjab is coming under water guzzling rice crop with availability of water. Institutions like PAU and state departments are water dependent and poorly used water as resource, how Modi govt can usher in reform?

You are correct as per Israel's water law, all water is country's common property resource and 62 percent of irrigation water they use is recycle. Do you think we can even think of such laws and integration? Do not you know how our states are fighting for the water and farmer at the end is not even getting his share of water? Israel is 2.5 times less of Punjab in size and unique in her own terms, then how we can replicate the Israel model to Indian context. This lack of common sense which really think me how we are governed by un-grounded policy makers and intellectuals? We are ready to ape and replicate the things of other world without thinking that whether it suits our country structure and needs.
Our whole political, social and economic system is outrightly different from Israel. For our politicians vote-bank politics, power comes first, who cares about water and scarcity? Even who among common people and society cares about water and efficient use? So, I am really in whirl-pool sir, where we are moving?

why not to trust the community and common people to conserve the water, and make them integral part of national programmes of water conservation? Why not to teach and integrate water conservation to agricultural scientists and students, and every form of relevant education?

How can Modi and his government only can do the reform? Do not you know basic structure and plan of smart cities? How can Modi government only make recycling of waste water for use in peri-urban agriculture an integral part of smart city initiatives? It requires will of local administration to whole set of community to make city smart. It requires awareness  and teaching of recycling, reuse and conservation since from school education to higher studies and then community education system. State govts, local govt and most important society can only bring the change. Without community participation all measures taken by govt dilute in short time frame. 

I fully support technological interventions of desalinization and potential use of long coast line. But we really need to focus on the 'small steps and big revolution' by integrating water conservation to every form of education especially main-stream agricultural education, community participation, trusting and rewarding age-old water conservation programmes, amending basic policies at the ground to really serve the cause. 

The integrated approach to solving the India's emerging water crisis involves imparting knowledge and sensitivity of recycling, reuse and conservation of natural inputs from schooling to higher studies, participating the common man in the water conservation through rain-water conservation to efficient use, rewarding and trusting the water conservation heritage of India. All other things comes second. Modi alone can not do anything.

Please take a look how department of soil and water conservation in Punjab made water available in the water scarce Kandi areas, and poor policies of state govt. encouraged the people to grow rice in the Kandi area, so this the fate our poor administration and political system.

Counter-arguments to Developer of GM Mustard

I have put my sincere counter-arguments in response to Dr Deepak Pental's Interview appeared in the Business World, dated June 22, 2017. I found many of the things false and silly showing/lying his lack of knowledge of basic agriculture and socio-economics of Indian agriculture. I found he also thinks fragmented like most of scientists and students of mainstream agriculture institutions. These are my personal and objective opinions, without any intention to offend anybody. I would really appreciate and encourage counter-arguments. 

Here it goes what Dr Pental spoke and after that my counter-arguments.

http://businessworld.in/article/-If-Government-Has-Guts-Then-Approve-GM-Seeds-/22-06-2017-120584/

How long it took to develop the GM mustard?
It came after 20 years of effort. These years saw more than 40 research publications, and genetic engineering appraisal committee of government disbanding the research. Now, there is opposition against the GM mustard, our efforts are hung. I would rather say, “If government has guts, then approve it”. It is a pity that we spend billions of rupees to import edible oil, this is a direct loss to our farmers.

GM mustard having terminator/GURT technology provide not any alternative rather than forcing farmers to purchase seed and basta every year from the markets monopolized by few seed companies [even Dr Pental do not have any strategy to counter the monopoly of mustard seed like what has happened in Bt cotton]. Traditional plant breeding methods takes 10-12 years [at maximum] to mix any kind of diverse blood [inter and intra-specific] even in self-pollinated plants. Dr Pental is arguing that BBB [barnase-barstar-bar gene] is technology to make hybridization easy and they are having combinations which they would release once GM mustard get approve. First, Mustard is self-pollinated crop and seed rate of mustard is very less [1.5-2.0 kg/acre] so it is very viable to mix the diverse genetic blood through time and tested traditional methods and then release open pollinated varieties [Open pollinated varieties] further in various combinations, simply. Second there is not dearth of traditional technologies to make the hybrids in the mustard family crops. Cauliflower and cabbage as vegetable is grown hybrids mainly. Maximum area under hybrid vegetable cultivation in India is in cabbage followed by cauliflower [more than 90 % now](http://agricoop.nic.in/sites/default/files/edib_2201.pdf) .  So, this simply reflects there is not any urgency in case of technology requirement for HYVs hybrid seed production in mustard if genetic base to be widen. Story of cauliflower and cabbage hybrid debunks the argument of superiority and necessity of unsafe and costly BBB technology, after arguments of higher yield has been debunked already. This also tells how GM mustard is scientific fraud and propaganda promoted by industry in name of science and R&D.
Why have you been so critical about it; it takes time for communities to come to a consensus?
Indian Council for Agricultural Research had spent around Rs 300 crore to establish one institute to do similar research in Ranchi, then there is a huge amount of Rs 350 crore spent on the construction of National Bio-technology Institute in Chandigarh. I am unhappy, because if every research has to have the same fate, why government waste money on its progress and future possibilities.
Biotechnology does not mean only to produce GM plant material and handover biodiversity in hands of few corporations. There is lot of application of any technology, it depends how you deploy the technology. Nuclear fission is a basic principle of nuclear technology. It is discretion whether we need to deploy it in form of civil power generation or atomic bomb. So, is the genetic engineering, a simple tool of biotechnology. We very well know the socio-economics and safety of application of nuclear technology in form of atomic bombs.
Dr Pental is implanting false narrative that criticism of GM food means outrightly criticism of biotechnology. Really smart, is not it? Biotechnology in for of MAS (marker assisted selection), immuno-studies, pathogen detection, industry product developments etc etc have a lot of applications. So, do not doubt the basic education, R&D and infrastructure developments by governments. Moreover biotechnology or GM as a technology has not any problem; problem is how and where you apply it. The main problem is that GM seeds are not desired in India for few following reasons.
1. There is not any alternative once GM mustard become what has Bt cotton currently, farmers need to buy seed every year from the market who may be saving, sharing and swapping his seeds earlier.

2. Story of Bt cotton and debt trap driven suicides, and socio-economics of India does not make any sense to deploy more and more fraud technologies when basic infrastructure like market, social and credit support and value-chains are lacking (http://www.thehindu.com/opinion/op-ed/say-no-to-gm-mustard/article18573107.ece).

3. As per FAO stat top mustard producer grow Non GM mustard and and average productivity is three times than India in general.

4. Bio-safety issues and lack of transparent regulatory mechanism due to conflict of interest etc etc are major issues to be resolved yet. There is no bio-safety data in public domain to look-upon. Matter is under sub-judice in higher judiciary. Parliamentary committee about GM crops and other relevant committees have raised serious questions about bio-safety, procedures of conducting of trails, conflict of interest and deficiencies in regulatory mechanism.

5. There is really dire need to revisit to basic plant genetics books teaching conservation and PGRs (plant genetic resources), and Vavilov's centre of biodiversity. First, India has huge diversity of plants in general and mustard species specifically unlike United States of America (US), Canada, and Australia. Moreover unlike many other countries where single/few species of mustard has been grown we have huge diversity of cultivated mustard. Second, our local farmers have quality local/traditional seeds which are acclimatize to local soils, climate and insect pests, and less resources intensive with. 
6. Despite less spray of chemicals than many developed countries we are having high MRL [minimum residue level] in our food crops due to spurious chemicals, lax regulatory mechanism and lack of education about application of dangerous chemicals. It is widely reported, GM crops have been leading the problem of superweeds and superpests [cotton is live example]. So, in this context also there is high chances of more poisoning and contamination of food and looming danger in form of higher level of resistance among weeds and pests against chemicals.
7. GM mustard is Trojan horse, behind it there is hidden design set by kept scientists, pseudo-journalists and controlled information mechanism [led by few seed giants] to hijack the seed-biodiversity and agriculture of India, and food system as a whole. Henry Kissinger, Secretary of State under President Richard Nixon, used to say, ‘Control oil [crude] and you control nations; control food and you control people’. All the seed biodiversity which was earlier in the hands of small, tribal and women farmers' hands is moving ex-situ in form of seed vaults or seed banks. Henry was quite visionary, is not it?
(http://www.vijayvaani.com/ArticleDisplay.aspx?aid=4343)

What about other nations?
We should learn from China, if any company invests in China for genetic research they ask them do it with Chinese partnership, they have recently bought Syngenta in a multi-billion dollar deal, now they have all the molecules owned by Syngenta. Suggest me a single company of India who could have done the same for agriculture. We still blame Monsanto for BT cotton issue, but this is how a company do its business, they are also responsible for shareholders.

Modern China has built over reforms set in agriculture as early as after their Independence led by Mao Zedong. This is our common problem; we appraise the beautiful building without even giving thought what kind of foundation makes such building. China has huge resources today and GM technology is in hands of government sector [if I am correct]. Education, R&D and information is very much in controlled in context to techno-nationalism and econo-nationalism. Do we have techno-nationalism and econo-nationalism in India like China, Germany, Japan, and Holland?

China does not feed GM food to their army because GM food crops are not much healthy, nutritious or productive in nature. Our age-old philosophies says Jaisa aan vaisa man, our physical bodies are nothing but accumulation of food, very part of Mother Earth. We have been killing the soil for greed and so is the consciousness dying. Same is the case with GM food. GM food comes from impotent, infertile, molecularly disturbed plants, so it affects human and other life forms' balance.
Syngenta is Chinese PSU now, we did not able to make such PSUs because our elite scientists, politicians, bureaucrats are playing along with their self-motivated interests unlike German, Japanese, Chinese, Dutch, Israeli etc etc.

What is your opinion about the recommendations of Swaminathan commission?
The best part of that report was the critical assessment of farmers’ profit, which was to be one and half times of his investment as recommended in report. I personally think, Swaminathan commission report lacks the part of technology transfer to farmers. Technology transfer and improvement can do changes, the same way it has done to information technology.

For example, what is the use of computer and ITC [information technology and communication] applications if there is not electricity? It is like a stupid engineer asking farmer to buy computer as whole world is connected through this box, but the farmer is not having power to watch television set even.
Most of our scientists lack common sense and capacity to connect the dots. Even Steve Jobs has said 'Connect the dots looking backwards to look forward'. What is the use of technology and high yields when we do not have basic infrastructure in form integrated markets, value-chains, irrigation and procurement? We are having bumper crops of edible oils and pulses last rabi season [even government leveraged it while demonetization], and see what happened throughout the country in last few days. If scientists were asked failing of Bt cotton they shift the blame to policies and governments and vice-versa. So, we cannot afford the fragmented thinking and approach anymore. Most of the scientists even do not able to recognize the basic crops apart from their relevant field crops and are preaching technologies can better serve the Indian agriculture. Bullshit.  

What should government do for farmers’?
Government should allow retails to reach farmers. We normally witness similar agricultural produce on a specific zone; if retails get involved they will pick it from farmers, giving them relief from a mountain task of bearing transportation expenses. I do not want to comment on the functioning of Food Corporation of India. Government can’t do everything on its own.

You really need to speak out and expose the functioning of FCI and lack of basic infrastructure, Dr Pental. This is what I feel; there is lack of integration among various stakeholders. Some hidden designs and over specialization has been ruling and dividing the minds of scientist, intellectuals, policy formulators and governments. Scientists and concerned people really need to speak about the basic infrastructure problems and policies which are prime reason for not flowering of Indian agriculture.
Your views on farmer suicides?
I have been involved with academics for a long time, there is no shortage of psychology experts in universities. Government must fund universities for field research, if experts visit farmers, they will counsel them and I find it more helpful. As far as loan repayments are concerned, every banker will follow poor farmers as they are easy to catch. None catches the big fish.
Amusing, we have fragmented and destroyed the natural social support mechanism exiting earlier. What the heck, psychologists and researchers would do, would they console and hugs the farmers? As Dr MS Swaminathan said ' what is the use of giving cow to a family as compensation who has lost his bread-winner, without making arrangement of fodder, ultimately cow needs fodder to survive. So, the farmer does not need bullshit anymore, he only needs basic infrastructure and support. 
When whole system of traditional support system in form of joint families, village as a single family, counseling by near and dear ones etc etc has been diluting what the heck psychologists would do? There is dire need to revive the social harmony, basic infrastructure, credit infrastructure, decentralization, local agriculture, traditional knowledge base and local seeds to resuscitate Indian agriculture. Most important we need to make our pseudo-scientist social scientist first and make them to visit farmers' fields rather than preaching the bullshit from the glass labs. Farms and farmers are not factory and workers to produce food. They have dignity, self-respect and rich-traditional knowledge which need mutual respect.
Last but not least stop implanting false narratives and wrong information. No disputes, we are importing edible oil worth of $10 billion (roughly 67,000 cr). But major share is of oil palm and soybean oil. WE are self-sufficient in mustard oil almost (http://agricoop.nic.in/sites/default/files/edib_2201.pdf). Then why implanting the false narrative that GM mustard would make India edible oil sufficient. Low import duties [please read and connect the dots why after flowering of yellow revolution we are again importing 60 percent of edible oils now?] and lack of policy vision is main reason for unbalance Indian agricultural basket. Do not doubt the will and courage of Indian farmers. Just in short time-frames they made nation self-sufficient in many food commodities. Green revolution, white revolution, yellow revolution etc etc are live example to be read. It is governments, scientists and policy makers who need enlightenment and will to atleast provide basic infrastructure and support to our resilient farmers.

PFA link to article "Challenging the narrative of GM mustard", debunking the pseudo-narratives in context to going on GM mustard controversy.
http://www.vijayvaani.com/ArticleDisplay.aspx?aid=4343

(Views are personal and written in individual capacity)

Regards 
vipeshgarg@gmail.com
P.S. Agriculture is natural, pure, aesthetic and spiritual profession. Please help to integrate it rather than fragmentation.

Are we moving in right direction to conserve water?

Greetings

Farming is becoming complex, complicated and costly venture. There is lot of technology in form of better inputs, resources and new innovation are available now days to make our agriculture more productive and remunerative. But we have been destroying the 12000 years old heritage and culture of agriculture. Just in less than 100 years we have made agriculture unsustainable. We have been over-exploiting natural resources and separating from the nature. During my all these years while studying agriculture and working with agriculture community I have realized somethings which are hindering flowering of agriculture. I take opportunity to share some of my insights.

Lack of integration
Agriculture has been considered as organic whole system with integration of nature, all life forms and universal forces. Over the last few years we have cut down from the agriculture from natural umbilical cord and working separately from the nature. Over-specialization and fragmentation of agriculture leading to many problems and complexity. Every scientist, department and student is working in separate compartments. This is the main problem, we are trying to solve the problems in the agriculture rather looking the problem of agriculture as a whole. Now, take example of water conservation, even there is not much integration of soil and water conservation department with agriculture or horticulture or PAU. If there would be a virtual integration, we are not working in tandem to fix the problems. Over specialization, bureaucracy, red-tapism etc is hindering our common mandate to serve the farmers. Lack of integration also affect in some terms e.g. earlier there was not much water in Kandi area [Punjab], now when there is some availability of water people start growing paddy. Cultivation of crops like paddy in kandi area further leads to many negative social externalities. There may be policy issues of MSP but we need to generate awareness about negative social externalities. We need to make people educate and influence the policies to be change. 

Lack of respect for local knowledge and ingenuity

I really not able to understand that our education system is transforming us stoic and most insensitive breed. Majority of scientist are sheep and working as system is deriving them without putting any thought whether their work is impacting people at the grass root level or not. There are so much of so called research and technological innovation for farmers by our agriculture scientists. But what about the footprint of these innovations in the farmers' fields? Our education and academia has led us to doubt our own heritage and cultural system. Earlier there was so much ingenuity and rich cultures which helps in conservation of nature, ecosystem and resources. Now, we just deploying technologies without any common sense that these all technologies are exotic, not socio-economically viable and not compatible to our small and marginal farmers' fields. Simple practices of natural farming, organic farming, vertical mulching, in-situ-water conservation, making soils organic matter rich etc can help to reduce the need of water and cost incurred in farming. But we are not focusing these issues because these are not fall in our mandate or departmental responsibilities. This is where lack of integration comes into picture.
Local farmers has always used local seeds, organic manures, and local innovations where there has been lack of basic inputs. They have devised simple techniques like in-situ water conservation, vertical mulching, pot irrigation, growing of hardy crops e.g. pulses and millets where water was deficient.These local techniques were even used by Britishers very beautifully which we need to ponder upon. For example there is extensive water conservation and supply system in the Shimla which was established by Britishers when She was summer capital. underground the Mall road there are hundred thousand litter of tank of water to supply water to Shimla. Most sophisticated system of water conservation system is placed in Indian Institute of Advanced Studies [IIAS] which was viceroy house built by Lord Dufferin [1884-88]. There is full-proofed water irrigation and water led fire protection system based on common knowledge of locals [please read and visit the place].

Lack of innovation

Change is law of nature. We all are following fixed pattern and walking on the same path. No one wants to walk upon a new trail and path. Modern agriculture and technologies has created many problem rather than solving the problems. But at the same time science and nature also provide us new open door to improve and settle the things. There is lack of flexibility, discretion and courage among agricultural scientific, and working community. We are killing the creativity of our youth by not providing them new information on subjects like xeriscaping, xeri-agriculture, natural farming, organic farming. Israel is the leader who has transformed the deserts into agricultural oasis. At the same time despite having all the system, resources and human resources in well placed we are not respecting our resources. We really need to integrate xeriscaping, water conservation, selection of crops according to resources availability with our mainstream agricultural institutions. We really need to work in collaboration, integration if we really want to bring some change at the ground. We really need to make our scientific and students, other working community to farmers first rather insensitive people. We need to work in tandem, and needs to think innovative and creative. All require great courage and molting of ego. Are we moving in right direction, is the biggest question need to ponder upon?