Impact Of Rain Water Harvesting Measures on Ground Water Recharge, Crop Productivity And Income Security Of The Villagers

INTRODUCTION

Gadag is the drought prone district and falls under the agro-climatic zone of the northern dry zone-3 and region-2 of Karnataka State.   The climate of the district is semiarid and annual rainfall varies from 450 mm to 650mm.  The rainfall is usually erratic and the agricultural droughts are very common with the probability of more than 70% of the years.The major field crops such as Greengram, Bengalgram, Groundnut, Sunflower, Maize, Jowar, Onion, Chilli, Cotton etc.  are grown.The predominant soil type is black cotton with many red soil packets.Irrigation facility is available for only 15 percent area and remaining 85 percent totally depends upon rainfall.   Hence, the high risk of the droughts impairs the successful crop production.

In view of recurring droughts, rain water harvesting measures including soil and water conservation were necessary for successful crop production and thereby ensuring income security of the villagers.  Keeping this as focal point, K.H. Patil Krishi Vigyan Kendra (KVK) approached Watershed Development Department of Government of Karnataka.The Department sanctioned Watershed Development Programmes under DPAP, NWDPRA and NABARD-WDF.The following details narrate the impact of measures taken in black cotton soil and red soil areas.


INTERVENTIONS IN BLACK COTTON SOIL

KVK and its host Institution have been working as Project Implementation/Facilitating Agencies for promotion of rain water harvesting measures for successful crop production under DPAP and NWDPRA in black soil areas covering 3200 hectors in 18 villages of Gadag block.The rain water harvesting measures such as filed bunds, waste weirs, compartment bunding farm ponds, sunken ponds, planting tree species and contour cultivation were implemented in partnership with farmers. A close partnership was achieved with farmers through various training and awareness  progrmmes.Further, the KVK facilitated capacity building programmes helped the Watershed Development Associations and Committees to plan the watershed development of their villages in right manner with enhanced participation by the beneficiary farmers.   Before such interventions by KVK, the farmers neither participated nor consulted in preparing watershed development plan of their own field.Because of KVK interventions especially through building the capacity of watershed community, the quality of all on-going watershed development programmmes has been improved and farmers have realized the importance of adopting suitable measures to increase their crop productivity even during scanty rainfall years.


Enabling adoption of Proper Soil & Water Conservation Technologies Developed Models in 28 Village Covering 6275 Ha with farmers Participation


Impact Analysis in One Of The Adopted Village : A Case Study Of Hirehandigol Village

Hirehandigol village is one among 18 villages where in in-situ soil moisture conservation technologies have been adopted in black cotton soils.  In this village, the various in-situ  soil moisture conservation works have been carried out for five years (2003-04 to 2007-08) in an area of 438 ha.   The social engineering such as organizing village watershed committee,  users groups, Self Help Groups, Joint Liability Groups etc. was taken up simultaneously.   Due to both activities, the adoption of various technologies was made possible.   This adoption helped in getting sustained productivity of crops over the years and there was an increase in double cropping.

INCREASED CROP PRODUCTIVITY OVER THE YEARS IN WATERSHED AREA

The effective soil and water conservation methods adopted in Hirehandigol watershed area have resulted in conversion of surface flow to subsurface flow, which in turn has enhanced the capacity of the crops to withstand dry spell even up to one month. The increased moisture holding capacity of the land has direct impact on enhancing the crop productivity. Farmers have realized the changes after the implementation of in-situ soil moisture conservation measures and adopted new cropping pattern shifting from subsistence agriculture crops to commercial crops like Onion, Chilli, Sunflower, Groundnut etc. The following table shows sustainable crop productivity in watershed area even during drought years.



Table 1 : Sustained Crop Productivity Due to The Soil and Moisture Conservation Measures

Intervention Year
 Financial Year Rainfall pattern as assessed by farmers Average Yield (Qt/ Ha) in watershed area
Green gram Groundnut Sun flower Onion Chilli Cotton Rabi Jowar
Ist Year Initial year 2003-04 for Watershed Development Scanty
& Drought		 1.87 2.85 5.25 14.75 2.50 1.87 4.15
2nd Year 2004-05 Scanty
& Drought		 5.00 5.25 6.00 18.35 2.75 7.50 5.50
3rd Year 2005-06 Scanty
& Drought		 6.25 8.75 10.50 37.50 6.25 5.75 13.75
4th Year 2006-07 Good rainfall 7.50 13.00 10.00 70.00 7.50 6.85 11.25
5th Year 2007-08 Maximum  rainfall 5.75 14.25 8.00 55.00 7.80 7.25 12.50

INCREASED CROP PRODUCTIVITY IN WATERSHED AREAS COMPARED TO NON-TREATED FIELDS

There was an increase in productivity of major crops in watershed area as compared to areas not treated with in-situ soil moisture conservation technologies.

Table – 2 : Average increase in productivity of major crops in selected fields of watershed areas in Comparison with untreated area in Hirehandigol village during the year 2006-07

Sl. No. Crops
Production in
 Increase in yield (qt/ha) Rate (Rs/qt.) Gross income (per/ha) Area under crop (ha) Gross Income realized        (Rs. In lakhs)
Treated area (Qt/ha) Untreated are (Qt/ha)
(i) Sunflower 10.00 6.50 3.5 1800 6300 108 6.80
(ii) Greengram 7.50 5.00 2.5 1200 3000 122 3.66
(iii) Groundnut 13.00 10.00 3.0 2000 6000 30 1.80
(iv)

Chilli +

  Onion		 7.50 4.50 3.0 4000 12000 80 9.60
  70.00 45.00 25.0 400 10000 80 8.00
            Total 420 29.86



Average Increase in Productivity of ajor

 

Reference year : 2006-07


Change In Cropping Intensity

As a result of adoption of in-situ soil moisture conservation,   there is a shift in cropping intensity in the treated area as follows.  The single cropping area is reduced by more than 50 percent and there is more shift in relay cropping.  These indicate higher soil moisture availability for the increased cropping intensity.

Employment Generation

Due to change in cropping intensity and shifting towards commercial crops, the employment generation was enormously increased as follows. 

In conclusion,  the adoption of in-situ soil moisture conservation technologies in watershed areas of Hirehandigol has brought lot of economic impact in the village through enhanced and sustained crop productivity, employment generation and thereby income security to the villages even during scanty rainfall years.