Agriculture has played an unequivocal role in the survival and sustenance of all civilizations all through the time. It is undoubtedly the backbone of all forms of human development. Water, being the most critical resource for agriculture, has naturally assumed the pivotal role in shaping livelihood, economy and environment.

The blooming population, ever-evolving food habits & lifestyle, urbanization and developmental needs encouraged people to explore avenues for optimal production & sustainability. This induced an immense burden on agriculture and natural resources including water, which saw natural escalation due to the phenomenon of global warming, climate change and ever-changing geo-political equations. This has motivated for planned and coordinated futuristic efforts towards improvements in agricultural practices, technologies and also for bring together people at national and international platforms for knowledge sharing and technology exchange.

The Indian National Committee on Irrigation & Drainage (INCID) - India’s representative National Committee under the International Commission on Irrigation & Drainage (ICID) - since its creation in 1950, has played a critical role in steering India’s pursuit for agricultural development, irrigational infrastructure, technology upgradation and knowledge transfer. During its 7 decades of illustrious existence, INCID has served as an ideal platform to stimulate appropriate application of engineering, agriculture, economic, environmental, legal, and social science technology to improve irrigation, drainage, and flood control practices.

In the recent years, INCID has revamped itself to adapt better to the germinating challenges & complexities in the field of agricultural water management. It has brought together the expertise of the Central Agencies/Depts, State Govt(s), Academia, Private sector players, capacity building institutes etc. aiming at consorted efforts and synergetic outcomes. The prime INCID initiatives in recent times include hosting the 9 th International Micro Irrigation Conference in 2019, WALMI Meet 2022 etc. It is praiseworthy to note that due to INCID’s perseverance, India has bagged ICID’s 10 World Heritage Irrigation Structure (WHIS) Awards and 12 WatSave Awards.

Currently, INCID is involved in the preparatory works towards the hosting of the prestigious 25 th International Congress and 75 th IEC of ICID at Vishakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh during November, 2023. INCID is also engaged in hosting the Conclave on “Water Security of India” during the 7 th India Water Week in November, 2022. INCID is also working for the launch of the National Certificate Course on Participatory Irrigation Management (NCCPIM), aimed to fulfill the long-standing need for PIM literacy among farmers and government field functionaries engaged in implementing PIM through the formation and strengthening of water user associations. INCID is also actively contributing towards the preparation of ICID’s “Register of World Irrigation & Drainage Structures”.

In view of the plethora of developmental aspirations and challenges, I extend my heartiest wishes to INCID for successful and fruitful endeavors.