NEW DELHI : The Centre plans to declare 2007 as `Water Year — Year of More Crop and Income Per Drop of Water.'

The Union Ministry of Water Resources has accepted a suggestion to this effect and will soon approach the Union Cabinet for approval.

This was a recommendation of the Advisory Council on Artificial Recharge of Ground Water chaired by Saifuddin Soz. The suggestion came from a Council Sub-Committee chaired by M.S. Swaminathan. The sub-committee had submitted its report in October. It had said the idea was to create awareness about the ``uncommon opportunities available with the technologies on the shelf for increasing the productivity and profitability of agriculture.''It is proposed that starting with kharif of 2007, about 5000 Farmer Participatory Action Research Programme be initiated with appropriate agricultural universities, Indian Council of Agricultural Research institutes and International Crops Research Institute for Semi-Arids. Fifty such institutions will be responsible for jointly organising with farm families 100 Action Research Programmes each. They will together demonstrate how to increase yield and income per drop of water through generating synergy among water, variety agronomic practices, particularly relating to macro and micronutrients in the soil, and implements.

Each programme will cover a minimum of one hectare and is estimated to cost about Rs. 50,000. The total cost of the 5000 Farmer Participatory Action Research Programme is, thus, estimated at Rs. 25 crore, for which the Ministry will seek budgetary provision in 2007-08.

The programme will be implemented in a participatory mode with the farm family having a sense of ownership of the programme. A well-planned Water Literacy Drive will also be undertaken as part of the programme.

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