Expanding Hill Water Management

The hilly region presents a paradoxical situation of scarcity amidst plenty on the water front. The hills and mountains are spread over five major regions viz., Himalayas (Western and North-Eastern ranges), Vindhya region, Western and Eastern Ghats, and Satpura ranges. Though sufficient rainfall is received in most parts of the region during monsoon season (June to September), most of it flows down the steep slopes as runoff and is not available for practical use. Improvements in hill agriculture will minimize the irrigation water demand to some extent. Of late, due to various developmental activities and degradation of catchments, water resources in the Himalayan region have been adversely affected. Deforestation, depleting fertility status of soil, erosion of some river banks, degraded common and grazing lands, inappropriate land use, fire resulting from shifting cultivation, fragmentation of land holdings, frequent droughts and floods, uncontrolled mining activities, and depleting groundwater resources are some of the major problems encountered in the hill agriculture. In view of the limited water resource availability in the hilly regions, soil and water conservation, rainwater harvesting and use of micro irrigation are important interventions. Suggestions are made to address the researchers and design engineers, local communities, implementing agencies, and policy makers in making needed interventions to improve the hill agriculture and water management.