November 27, 2012

2012: Highlight # 53

Priyanie Amerasinghe and others argue that, if managed well, growing cities can become a reliable source of irrigation water for sustaining peri-urban agriculture in the future...

Cities as Sources of Irrigation Water

An Indian scenario

Priyanie Amerasinghe, Mahesh Jampani and Pay Drechsel



Growing Indian cities have the potential to support their peri-urban futures by providing irrigation water for food production. Over 1.1 million ha of land could be irrigated if the city waters are rendered safe for use. While the practice of peri-urban agriculture using city water is not a new phenomenon in India, its full potential has not been fully explored, due to poor/marginal quality and lack of adequate institutional arrangements and dialogue for its effective use. It is timely that inter-sectoral dialogue is focused towards developing a well integrated water development plan for cities, which includes irrigation water as well.


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