Food Security and Sustainable Agriculture in India: The Water Management Challenge

Abstract

"The author argues that the allocation of tradable private property rights in water will lead to overall enhancement in the economic efficiency of water use and higher productivity in agriculture. The enforcement of tradable private property rights will ensure equitable access to water in water scarce regions for agriculture, and also for all classes. This is critical from the point of view of local and domestic food security. Moreover, as in water abundant regions, it can also provide the landless farmers with sufficient incentives to invest in development and transfer water for highly productive uses elsewhere, and generate income. The volumetric pricing of water from public canals and unit pricing of electricity in the farm sector with carefully designed structures, along with properly enforced water rights, can, not only improve the physical efficiency of the water use in agriculture, but also provide the rich and poor farmers with equal income earning opportunities from farming."