Australian project to help improve land, water resources management

Indian researchers are helping their Australian counterparts to help farmers boost their crops by making more efficient use of ground and surface water during the dry summer months.

The initiative by the Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research (ACIAR) will help improve agriculture productivity in the Eastern Gangetic plains, including in Bihar and West Bengal, through more efficient land and water resources management.

The Australian High Commissioner Patrick Suckling said that the project aims to help the people in the region improve their livelihoods through more productive farming.

"The project will benefit women and landless farmers through research to help introduce new technologies to manage water resources," said Suckling.

"The initiative should help in the efficient use of ground and surface water for irrigation and help boost agriculture productivity during the dry summer months," he added.

The four-year AUD 2.25-million project will be funded by ACIAR for implementation in India, Nepal and Bangladesh.

The project was also launched today in Kathmandu by the Australian Ambassador to Nepal Glenn White.