Publication

Abstract : The alarming water scarcity in the Gujarat state underscores the adoption of water efficient technologies like micro-irrigation. Though the micro-irrigation policy has been there since the 1980s, an expected adoption scenario was not observed till the mid-2000s. Based on the recommendations of National Mission on Micro-irrigation, the state governments have been given flexibility in redesign institutions and subsidy policy for wider adoption and diffusion of such technology. With regards to Gujarat, the state government has taken initiative to form a special purpose vehicle like Gujarat Green Revolution Company limited and also provided differential subsidy to the farmers, which varies with respect to caste and geographical location. In this regard, this paper aims to examine the role of institutional reforms and subsidy policy interventions in adoption and diffusion of micro-irrigation across the state in the recent years. While the first part makes a comprehensive review of the state policy and intervention for the promotion of micro irrigation in the last decade, the second part of this paper provides a detailed analysis of the trends in the status of adoption of micro irrigation systems under the various subsidy policy and institutional intervention regimes.