IMPACT OF CANAL IRRIGATION ON SCHEDULED CASTE FARMERS IN KHAMBHAT TALUKA OF ANAND DISTRICT OF GUJARAT STATE
Loading...
Date
2000
Authors
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
AAU, Anand
Abstract
Concept of irrigation is one of the most contributing factors for changing subsistence type of farming into modem high tech farming to get better economic gain. To increase crop production, emphasis should be given on the effective utilization of irrigation water from different resources. The canal irrigation brings the change in the pattern of kind used, influences production distribution, sets the agriculture based industrial progress and influences the civilization too. Hence, utilization of water is major influence in development of all classes of the country. It is true that India's real development is possible only through the development of all classes of people. There are certain classes of rural area in which the progress is more than expectations at the same time there are other classes showing backwardness. Such backwardness is particularly observed in the farmers of scheduled castes. Since, independence, huge funds have been diverted by the Government through providing necessary resources with a view to uplifting their living standard and bringing them into the national main stream. This situation raises the question, how and upto what extent scheduled caste farmers have taken the advantages of various agricultural resources provided to them? To answer and analyze the impact of atleast one of the agricultural resources provided to them, present study on "IMPACT OF CANAL IRRIGATION ON SCHEDULED CASTE FARMERS" was undertaken in Khambhat taluka of Anand district of Gujarat state. OBJECTIVES 1. To study the profile of the SC farmers in terms of their personal, social, communication, economic and psychological characteristics. 2. To measure the level of knowledge and adoption of recommended practices of wheat crop and socio-techno-economic changes of the SC farmers. 3. To measure the impact of canal irrigation on selected characteristics of the SC farmers. 4. To ascertain relationship between the selected independent variables and the level of knowledge, adoption and socio-techno-economic change of the SC farmers. 5. To analyze the problems faced by the SC farmers in efficient use of canal irrigation water and collect their suggestions to overcome these problems. The present study was conducted in randomly selected six villages of Khambhat taluka covered under Mahi canal irrigation project and six random villages from the same taluka which are not fully covered under Mahi canal irrigation project. A random sample of 120 SC farmers, out of them sixty from irrigated villages and sixty from unirrigated villages was selected for the study. The data were collected with the help of interview schedule by conducting personal interview. For the measurement of independent and dependent variables, appropriate scales developed and adopted by other research workers were used with due modifications. The statistical tools used for the analysis of the data were percentage, mean, standard deviation, 't' test and correlation coefficient. The important findings of the study are summarized as under : 1. The significant impact of canal irrigation was observed on the respondents of irrigated villages on their many characteristics. These characteristics were social participation, cropping intensity, production, change in household items, saving and investment habit, food habit, clothing habit, housing facility, social status, self dependency, overall socio-techno-economic change, level of aspiration, risk orientation, attitude towards modern agricultural practices and knowledge regarding recommended practices of wheat crop. 2. The variables namely education, social participation, mass media exposure, size of land holding, level of aspiration, educational aspiration for son, risk orientation, attitude towards modern agricultural practices and overall modernization of the respondents of unirrigated villages were observed positively and significantly correlated with their knowledge, whereas age was negatively and significantly correlated with their knowledge. 3. The variables viz., education, social participation, mass media exposure, level of aspiration, educational aspiration for son, risk orientation, attitude towards modern agricultural practices, overall modernization of the respondents of irrigated villages were positively and significantly, whereas age was negatively and significantly correlated with their knowledge. 4. The variables viz., education, social participation, mass media exposure, size of land holding, level of aspiration, educational aspiration for son, risk orientation, attitude towards modern agricultural practices, overall modernization and knowledge of wheat cultivation of the respondents of unirrigated villages were significantly correlated with the adoption of recommended practices of wheat cultivation. 5. The variables viz., education, social participation, mass media exposure, level of aspiration, educational aspiration for son, risk orientation, attitude towards modern agricultural practices, overall modernization and knowledge of wheat cultivation of the respondents of irrigated villages were positively and significantly, whereas age was negatively and significantly correlated with their level of adoption of recommended practices of wheat cultivation. 6. The variables viz., education, social participation, mass media exposure, size of land holding, level of aspiration, educational aspiration for son, risk orientation, overall modernization, knowledge and adoption of recommended practices of wheat cultivation of the respondents of unirrigated villages were significantly correlated with their socio-techno-economic change. 7. The variables viz., social participation, mass media exposure, size of land holding, level of aspiration, educational aspiration for son, risk orientation, attitude towards modern agricultural practices, overall modernization, knowledge and adoption of recommended practices of wheat, cultivation of the respondents of irrigated villages were positively and significantly, whereas occupation was negatively and significantly correlated with their socio-techno-economic change. 8. Misuse of irrigation water by the farmers nearer to outlet of canal, high intensity of weed, unavailability of timely technical guidance, lack of prior information by irrigation authorities before releasing water in the canal and lack of co-operation in preparation of field channels in time by other farmers were the major problems faced by the respondents in efficient use of canal irrigation water. Rotational irrigation systems should be strickly followed, irrigation cooperative societies should be established for effective and efficient use of irrigation water, farmers should be informed about adverse effects of excess use of irrigation, adequate irrigation water should be supplied in time by irrigation departments and farmers should be informed regarding recommendations of irrigation in various crops by concerned departments were the important suggestions given by the respondents for efficient use of canal irrigation water.
Description
Keywords
Extension Education, Agriculture, A Study