Debate on how to transfer rainwater between river basins: Andhra Pradesh CM tells experts

Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy on Thursday said experts should debate on how to transfer rainwater from one river basin to another.

The chief minister made the observations at the ongoing 25th International Congress of the International Commission on Irrigation and Drainage (ICID) in the port city.

''But in my opinion, the bigger debate should be transferring water during the monsoon period, which is during June, July, August and September when it rains,'' said Reddy, addressing the conference attended by water experts from across the world.

According to the chief minister, at present there is a situation where the period of rainfall is shorter but with massive downpours. And during this period, effectively transferring water from one basin to another basin would be the biggest challenge to address and tackle water scarcity in agriculture, he noted.

As the capacities of existing dams would continue to be the same, Reddy said the canal irrigation system should be widened in the most cost-effective manner to achieve this purpose.

Urging the participants to seriously contemplate and debate, the chief minister said shorter rainfall bursts is now a global phenomenon.

Union Minister of Jal Shakti, Gajendra Singh Shekhawat, addressed the conference and drove home the point that India is the largest user of groundwater in the world.

According to Shekhawat, 65 per cent of India's irrigation needs are met by groundwater.

''We are by far the largest user of groundwater in the world and today annually we are drawing more groundwater than the US and China combined,'' he added.

The ICID Congress which commenced on November 1 will go on till November 8.