A study on “Sustainability of Water Interventions for Livelihoods” was undertaken by a team from P-Green Solution, Dehradun from September 2025 to February 2026. The Executive Summary of this study is captured as one of the news items.
P-Green Solutions, as part of a Phase II project supported under Himalayan Water Partnership financed by Himmotthan is now conducting pilot action research on traditional water use and supplementary irrigation in dryland agriculture, and finding ways to effectively use water in rainfed areas in the Uttarakhand Himalayas. The study titled “To study the traditional water-use & support irrigation in dryland agriculture and to find ways to enhance water use efficiency under traditional support irrigation systems” commenced in April 2026. As most of Uttarakhand’s mountain areas are rainfed, the concept of supplementary irrigation, with its efficiency and effectiveness in maintaining soil moisture, has not yet percolated to the farmer level. Additionally, there is a lack of soil quality testing and a soil moisture recording system in most areas. Therefore, it is necessary to conduct pilot action research on potential methods of water harvesting and storage, and on promoting micro-irrigation systems such as sprinklers and drip systems, to improve the traditional support irrigation system in rainfed areas of the Uttarakhand Himalayas.
Broad Objectives of the Project:
- To study the traditional water-use and support irrigation in dryland agriculture
- To find ways to enhance water use efficiency under traditional support irrigation systems
The study is being conducted at four locations where traditional support irrigation systems are already in place, and farmers are irrigating their crops. In most places, the captured water is used for support irrigation for vegetable and spice crops. Study villages have been selected from Nainital and Tehri Garhwal districts in the Kumaon and Garhwal regions.
Study of traditional support irrigation systems: In the selected villages, a detailed study is being conducted on traditional water-harvesting and support-irrigation practices for vegetable and spice cultivation. A detailed study of various irrigation aspects (such as irrigation methods, irrigation frequency, water use patterns, crops grown, crop performance, and crop yield) is underway. In addition, associated issues, i.e., source sustainability, gender, equity, water-use efficiency, available human resources, investment vs income, are being studied. The vegetable & spice cropping pattern and practices under supplementary irrigation is being studied to identify issues and recommend solutions to improve water utilisation and increase productivity at lower production costs.
Trial Demonstrations: Pilot demonstrations of micro-irrigation systems are being conducted to identify ways to enhance water-use efficiency in traditional support irrigation systems. Soil quality and soil moisture of pilot plots is being tested and monitored at regular intervals. Crop performance and production data is being analysed across different micro-irrigation systems. The efficiency and effectiveness of micro irrigation interventions are being studied. Some control sites are being selected in the vicinity for comparison.
Research Methodology: A framework for data collection and analysis has been developed. Data is being collected across seasons to create a complete picture of water inflows and utilisation. In addition, household and village-level surveys and semi-structured interviews are being conducted to collect field data.
Secondary data collection & Triangulation of data: Secondary information is being collected from various sources, i.e. implementing organisations, villagers, line departments, and research institutions. Discussion are being held with technical experts to verify the data. Followed by the compilation of data/ information and the submission of the study report.
The timelines for the study are as follows:
- April 2026– Site Selection, potential partners and finalisation of all paperwork, finalise research methodology, set up demos and some field visits.
- May-June 2026 – Field visits, data collection formats, field testing, commencement of data collection.
- July-September 2026 – Secondary data collection, collection of data / information on traditional support irrigation systems, discussion with technical experts / institutions.
- October 2026 – Field visits & Data collection.
- November 2026 – Field visits, Data collection and analysis, preparation and submission of draft report with analysis.
- December 2026 – Submission of final report.
