AN ECONOMIC IMPACT OF INTEGRATED WATERSHED DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMME IN MEDAK DISTRICT OF TELANGANA STATE
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Date
2016
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PROFESSOR JAYASHANKAR TELANGANA STATE AGRICULTURAL UNIVERSITY RAJENDRANAGAR, HYDERABAD
Abstract
In India half of the population depending on agriculture. Indian agriculture is dependent on monsoons. Monsoons are erratic and undependable. Nearly 60% of the cultivable land in India is dependent on monsoons, which is contributing nearly 42% of the total production from agriculture. Watershed Development programme focus on rainfed regions because these areas represent 60 percent of arable land in India and 55 percent of the country’s agricultural output, and provide food that supports 40 percent of the nation’s population (Ahmad et al. 2011; Planning Commission 2012).
National watersheds implemented in each district along with the area treated in Telangana state so far (i.e., from 2010-2015). There are nearly 330 national watersheds in Telangana with 1393056 hectares of treated area. It revealed that maximum number of 8 watersheds each were in districts of Mahaboob Nagar, (103) were most of the land is of dry or rainfed followed by 59 in Adilabad, 48 in Nalgonda and 37 each in the districts of Ranga Reddy and Medak.In the case of treated area under the programme, maximum area of 427577 hectares was found with MahabubNagar district indicating a larger coverage under each watershed in the district compared to other watersheds in other districts. Adilabad with 249278 hectares and Medak with 161785 hectares and Ranga Reddy with 156957 are in the order of sequence, while Karimnagar District was with minimum (16653 ha)treated under the programme.
The size of the holding increased the area under rainfed conditions also increased, exhibiting a direct relationship in both watersheds as well as non-watershed categories of respondents. Similar trend was observed under tank and well irrigation among all the size groups of both watershed and non-watershed categories of farmers, excepting, those of small farmers in watershed area that owned less area (0.14 ha.) under tank irrigation accounting for 6.03 per cent of the total holding area. The watershed area is covered with red soil (98.4 per cent) and Non watershed area is covered with black soil (96.80 per cent).
The major portion of the farmers was benefit from the farm pond and percolation pond. About 37.13 per cent of the pooled farmers have farm ponds. Farm ponds were used as a water
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conservation measure by about 54.2 per cent of the small farmers, 32.6 per cent of the medium farmers and 24.6 per cent of the large farmers. The farmers have more than one farm pond also.
The water level in the wells and bore wells was high during the north east monsoon period in both the blocks. The average well water level in the non watershed block was 36.96 feet, much lesser than the average water level in the watershed block (50.97 feet). During the summer period in both the blocks, there is no recharge in the water level in both the wells and the bore wells. Compared to Non watershed block more recharge of water levels in wells and bore wells in watershed block.
The watershed block before the watershed intervention technology in 2012-13 the water level in wells and bore wells were 32.58 feet and 100.88 feet respectively. This is rise to 47.57 and 122.82 feet respectively in 2013-14. The water level in the wells and bore wells were comparatively high in the watershed block across all farmers compared to the non watershed block. After the watershed development programme a rise in the water level in the wells and bore wells were seen in the watershed block. Compared to the Non watershed block, the rise in the water level was comparatively high in the watershed block across all the farmers. On an average, the rise in the well and bore well water levels in the watershed block was 15.16 feet and 24.08 feet respectively after the watershed Development Programme. The analysis reveals that ground water level has increased in the watershed block after the usage of watershed Development Programme.
In watershed block, the average net area sown and gross irrigated area during 2012-13 in the watershed block was 6.48 and 7.43 hectares respectively. This had increased to 8.51 and 10.19 hectares respectively in 2013-14. The percentage in irrigation intensity was 10.40 per cent in the watershed block and 3.93 per cent in Non watershed block. The analysis reveals that after the watershed intervention technology: In both the blocks the net area sown and gross irrigated area and Irrigation intensity had increased among all the farmers.´ In the watershed block, highest irrigation intensity was realized by the small and large farmers.
The largest improvement in cropping intensity in the watershed block was recorded by the medium farmers 139.02 and in the non watershed block it was realized by the medium farmers 125.72.Cropping intensity is more in watershed block compared to non watershed block in selected study area.
In the watershed area, the average yield had exceeded the potential yield for paddy for the three farmer groups, after watershed development programme in 2009-10. Similarly crop productivity index for paddy, maize, cotton and onion exceeded ‘one’ among small, medium and large farmers in 2013-14. Overall crop productivity index for paddy crop (1.31) is more than other crops are maize, cotton and onion. In Non watershed area also the crop productivity index for paddy and cotton crops had exceeded ‘one’ among small, medium and large farmers in 20013-14. But in the case of maize and onion crops, it shows a low level of crop productivity index for small, medium and large farmers with crop productivity index taking values for maize crop 0.92, 0.81 and 0.81 respectively, and the onion crop is 0.96, 0.99 and 0.82 respectively.
It shows that the overall crop productivity index had increased in all crops in watershed area compared to non watershed areas.
In the watershed block, there was an increase in the value of land for all groups of farmers. It could be seen from the table 5.26 that land value per farm house hold for small farmers had increased from 3,91,890 Rupees in 2012-13 to 5,11,890 Rupees in 2013-14. For the medium farmers it was from 3,41,480 to 4,61,480 Rupees and for large farmers from 3,88,080
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to 5,82,120 Rupees respectively. The percentage changes in the value of land per farm household among all farmer groups range from 30.62 for small farmers to 35.14 for medium farmers and 50.00 to large farmers. The overall percentage change in the land value per farm household in watershed block, after the application of watershed intervention technology accounted to 38.58. In the Non watershed block the land value per farm household had increased from 2,35,000 Rupees in 2012-13 to 3,92,840 Rupees in 2013-14. The value of land had highly increased in this block, for the medium farmers from 2,59,200 Rupees in 2012-13 to 3,82,200 Rupees in 2013-14, followed by medium farmers with increase in land value from 2,14,090 Rupees in 2012-13 to ` 3,34,090 Rupees in 2013-14. For small farmers the monetary benefit from land was 17.26 per cent.
The findings reveal that for all the farmers the land value in money terms had increased in watershed block compared to Non watershed block in study area. The increase was much realized by the large farmers in watershed block.
The Benefit Cost Ratio (BCR) ranged from 1.50 for the small farmers to 3.50 for the medium farmers and 4.99 for the large farmers in the watershed block. In the Non watershed block also similar results prevailed. It is noticed from the above table 5.34 that among the sample farmer groups BCR for small farmers was 2.08, for medium farmers 2.68 and for large farmers 3.87. The financial results on feasibility analysis revealed that the benefit cost ratio exceeded ‘unity’ for all farmer groups.
In the watershed block, the calculated economic surplus exceeded. Being the major rain fed crops, these four crops benefited from the implementation of the watershed development programme. The change in economic surplus due to watershed development programme was decomposed into change in “consumer surplus” and change in “producer surplus”. It was evident that the producer surplus was higher than the consumer surplus for all the crops in watershed block. The producers surplus was high for onion which was worked out to be 75.56 per cent. The estimated producers surplus exceeded more than 50 per cent for paddy, maize and cotton crops. The analysis reveals that, the producers surplus exceeded that of the consumer surplus for all crops. The farmers as producers benefit from watershed development programme in watershed block.
Peoples' participation in watershed development and management programmes is crucial for their successful and cost-effective implementation. This is so because the watershed approach requires that every field/parcel of land located in a watershed be treated with appropriate soil and water conservation measures and used according to its physical capability. Moreover peoples' participation should be encouraged because they are aware of their own needs better. At the same time, it has been seen that non-involvement of people in the development programmes is also a great concern and challenge to rural development. No programme can be a success without the involvement of the people. Since the project emphasizes the participatory management, involvement of file beneficiaries right from planning stage helps in smooth and effective implementation of file programme.
The level of farmer’s participation both at planning and implementation stages of the watershed project was satisfactory. However, some more technical information, training and guidance has to be provided to the farmers by project authorities in adoption of improved practices and maintenance of assets created even after withdrawal of project from the area.