Evaluation of Blended Irrigation Schemes: A Micro-Level Decadal Study of Shrigonda Tahsil in Drought Prone Western Maharashtra, India

https://doi.org/10.22146/ijg.49759

Manojkumar Popatrao Devne(1), Ganesh Madhukar Dhawale(2*), Jyotiram More(3), Mundhe Nathuram Nitin(4)

(1) Department of Geography, Sir Parashurambhau College, Pune, India.
(2) Department of Geography, Sir Parashurambhau College, Pune, India.
(3) Department of Geography, Bhartiya Jain Sanghatnas', Arts Science and Commerce College, Pune, India.
(4) Department of Geography, Sir Parashurambhau College, Pune, India.
(*) Corresponding Author

Abstract


The qualitative parameters of development of a quantitatively increasing population for a resource stressed country like India, is dependent on the sustainability of food availability. Agriculture remains to be a backbone of the economy and food supply. Agriculture, however, in many parts of India, even today, remains to be rain-fed. Recent efforts at the government level, Centre and State, have helped to bring a significant amount of land, initially under rain-fed agriculture, to under irrigation of various types. These varied types of irrigation change regionally; on various agro-factors. Source of water resources to be used for irrigation in the respective climatic sub-regions and the subsequent crop cultivated in the respective region are just a few primary factors controlling the effectivity of the type of irrigation method used. Irrigation requires technological inputs, which, in turn, requires financial expenses that need to be under the significant agro-factors mentioned above. Governments at the Centre and State levels; have been continuously making efforts to support irrigation practices through direct and indirect supportive schemes. These schemes have their positive, and at times, negative impact on the local agriculture at a micro-level. Agriculture is a state subject in India. The Centre does provide finance for various agricultural projects as well. Micro-irrigation has been and will play an essential role in the future in India. Ever since 1992, the government has been taking initiatives in micro-irrigation. These have eventually transpired into schemes, i.e., Centrally Sponsored Scheme (CSS) in 2006, later upgraded to the National Mission on Micro Irrigation (NMMI) implemented since 2013-14 and subsequently National Mission for Sustainable Agriculture. The present study is an attempt to evaluate such 'State' (Central and State Governments)sponsored irrigation programs on agricultural practices at a micro level, over a decade (2005-2016). The study area identified for the same is a tahsil in the Ahmednagar district of Western Maharashtra. What is significant is that, the said tahsil Shrigonda; lies in the drought-prone region and that there have been cyclic variations in the rainfall, and the various agriculture crops cultivated through the last decade. State Government-sponsored schemes are seen to have been blended with Central Government schemes by the local farmers to achieve sustainability of crops. The effects of the same, on the cycle of products, is worth an observation.Human factors also play an equally important role while using the developing Technology of micro-irrigation. Farmers try-and-test various crops with the respective Micro-irrigation technique, in the respective agro-climatic regions, particularly when the source of water is not assured in the drought-prone area.  Subsequent allied government schemes (farm ponds), the market value of the product, and perishability or shelf-life of the products also play a significant role in the choice of crop. The success of the micro-irrigation schemes will, however, be dependent on the effective delivery mechanism through close coordination among all the tiers of government and capacity building of beneficiaries.

 


Keywords


Farm Ponds, Micro-irrigation, Capacity Building, Centrally SponsoredScheme (CSS), National Mission on Micro Irrigation (NMMI)

Full Text:

PDF


References

Anwesha, B. & Pardeep, S. (2010). Agricultural Research In India: An Exploratory Study, International Journal of Social Science & Interdisciplinary Research, 1(9), 59–77.

Census of India. (2011). Office of the Registrar General & Census Commissioner, India (ORGI).

Keller, J. (2001). The importance of rural development in the 21st-century: persistence, sustainability and futures, The future of Australia's country towns, 19–31.

Mahajan, S. & Bobade, A. (2012). Growth of Nais: A Study of Crop Insurance in India, https://www.researchgate.net/publication/257929206.

Narayanamoorthy, A. (2003). Averting water crises by drip method of irrigation: A study of two water intensive crops. Indian Journal of Agricultural Economics 58 (3), 42–437.

National Mission on Micro Irrigation, (Operational Guidelines), (2011). Government of India, Ministry of Agriculture, Department of Agriculture and Cooperation.

Naveen kumar, M. & Sathyapriya, E. (2018). Micro irrigation system in Agricultural context – An overview, Conference: National congress on micro irrigation, Water technology centre, TNAU, At Coimbatore.

Polak, P., Nanes, B. & Adhikari, D. (1997). A low cost drip irrigation system for small farmers in developing countries. Journal of the American Water Resources Association 33 (1), 119–124.

Rajović, G. & Bulatović, J. (2013). Geographical View on Energetic Sources of Climate Northeastern Montenegro, International Letters of Natural Sciences, 3,1–6.

Regassa, E., Namara, B. & Nagar, R.(2005). Adoption and Impacts of Micro-irrigation Technologies: Empirical Results from Selected Localities of Maharashtra and Gujarat States of India, International Water Management Institute, Colombo, Sri Lanka,1–51.

Shah, T.& Keller, J. (2002). Micro-irrigation and the poor: A marketing challenge in smallholder irrigation development. In Private irrigation in sub-Saharan Africa: Regional seminar on private sector participation and irrigation expansion in sub-Saharan Africa, 22–26 October 2001, Accra, Ghana. Proceedings, eds. Hilmy Sally and Charles L. Abernethy. Colombo, Sri Lanka, International Water Management Institute, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, and ACP-EU Technical Centre for Agricultural and Rural Cooperation.

World Bank Estimates accessed online , http://www.worldbank.org/https://databank.worldbank.org/source/population estimates-and-projections



DOI: https://doi.org/10.22146/ijg.49759

Article Metrics

Abstract views : 2302 | views : 2881

Refbacks

  • There are currently no refbacks.




Copyright (c) 2020 Ganesh Madhukar Dhawale

Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.

Accredited Journal, Based on Decree of the Minister of Research, Technology and Higher Education, Republic of Indonesia Number 225/E/KPT/2022, Vol 54 No 1 the Year 2022 - Vol 58 No 2 the Year 2026 (accreditation certificate download)

ISSN 2354-9114 (online), ISSN 0024-9521 (print)

Web
Analytics IJG STATISTIC