Crop patterns in India are changing without consideration for local agro-climatic conditions. This puts a burden on environment, incurring huge long-term losses.
The past few months saw Karnataka and Tamil Nadu bickering over the sharing of the Cauvery water. It was the failure of the south-west monsoon that had put crops in Karnataka at risk, forcing the government to stop water supplies to Tamil Nadu. The arrival of the north-east monsoon in Tamil Nadu, however, has eased this tension. The fact, however, is that it’s not as much the rainfall as the changed crop pattern that has aggravated the situation.
From traditional ragi (finger millet), which was more suited to the Mandya region of Karnataka, the farmers shifted to more remunerative but water-intensive paddy and sugarcane crops post 1970. In fact, in its submission to the Supreme Court, Tamil Nadu pointed out this anomaly while seeking release of Cauvery water.
Such variance in crops and agro-climatic zones is evident across India, which is why we should not be surprised if more water conflicts rise in the near future in different regions.
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