Suggest measures to improve water storage and irrigation system to make its judicious use under depleting scenario. (Answer in 250 words)

Water scarcity requires a shift from supply-led expansion to integrated water-resource management that stores runoff, recharges aquifers and raises productivity per unit of water.

• Rehabilitate reservoirs, canals, tanks, ponds, ahars, johads and other traditional systems through community participation.
• Construct scientifically designed check dams, percolation tanks, recharge shafts and contour trenches after watershed assessment.
• Desilt and maintain existing structures, restore catchments and prevent encroachment on wetlands and drainage channels.
• Promote rooftop rainwater harvesting, urban storm-water capture and treated wastewater storage.
• Use satellite mapping, hydrological data and aquifer-based water budgeting for site selection and monitoring.

• Expand drip and sprinkler irrigation, laser land levelling, soil-moisture sensors and precision scheduling.
• Line or pipe canals where appropriate, reduce conveyance losses and maintain field channels.
• Adopt micro-irrigation and fertigation, while promoting drought-tolerant and less water-intensive crops.
• Improve extension services and incentivise water-saving practices rather than merely subsidising extraction.

• Regulate groundwater through participatory aquifer management and metering of large users.
• Form water-user associations with authority over distribution, maintenance and local conflict resolution.
• Price water rationally for commercial and industrial users while protecting small farmers.
• Converge watershed, employment, agriculture and rural infrastructure programmes.

Storage augmentation will succeed only when combined with demand management, ecological protection, reliable data and accountable local institutions.

Keywords: watershed management, aquifer recharge, micro-irrigation, water budgeting, water-user associations, demand management.