CLIMATE SMART PRACTICES IN RURAL AREAS OF MADHYA PRADESH:

Madhya Pradesh has around 20 per cent of the total dry land districts of the country, reflecting the predominance of dry land agriculture in the state. Out of the total geographical area 307.56 lakh hectares of the state, only about 151.91 lakh hectares are arable. Mean Annual Rainfall (MAR) in the state varies from 1,300 mm in the East (Shahdol, Balaghat and Mandla) to 700 mm in the west (Jhabua, Ratlam, Dhar, Barwani, Khargone and Khandwa). Despite high rainfall and presence of numerous rivers and rivulets, only about 17 % of net sown area is irrigated by canal. About 68.5 % of the area is irrigated by wells and tube wells. The state shows a spatial pattern in terms of dependence on various sources of irrigation. While the rain rich eastern tract is more dependent on surface water for irrigation, groundwater dependence is found to be high in the western tract in general and Malwa Plateau in particular.

In the state there has been a gradual shift in the cropping pattern towards cash crop cultivation like cotton and soybean. Now, Madhya Pradesh is ranked 1st in country in the production of Soybean, Gram, Urad, Tur, Masoor, Linseed; 2nd in the production of Maize, Sesame, Ramtil, Moong and 3rd in the production of Wheat, Sorghum, Barley. In rabi season, wheat, gram, peas, lentils, mustard, and linseed are sown in abundance. This transformation has happened due to adoption of appropriate land and water management practices, expansion of minor irrigation program, crop diversification and increase in production and productivity of agricultural crops and increase in income of farmers by taking developed agricultural techniques to the fields.

Despite significant increase in agricultural production, the Small and Marginal farmers (SMF) still feel the brunt of climate variability due to the climate change. SMFs constitute 75.56 % of the total farmers in the state, but they cultivate only 39.6 % of the net sown area. While State Government has initiated various programme to cope up with the situation, NCHSE with the support of ITC has taken up the Climate Smart Sustainable Agriculture Programme, being implemented in cluster of villages in Sehore, Agar Malwa, Dewas, Ratlam, Mandsaur and Vidisha Districts.

Following interventions have been made to reduce the impact of environmental crisis and improve the livelihood of the people:

1. • Adoption of water and soil conservation measures, including integrated water management practices to ensure availability of water for irrigation during the dry/Rabi season;
2. • Introduction of new technologies for improving soil moisture content and improved agricultural practices to facilitate efficient use of water and increasing agricultural productivity.
3. • Providing livelihood opportunities for the poor;
4. • Capacity building of farmers & Govt. department to ensure operation and maintenance of the systems as well as environmental sustainability.
5. • Ensuring all six aspects of Climate Smart Village plan in the project implementation.