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economics of on-farm development - Institute for Social and ...

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An attempt has been made in this chapter to present the <strong>development</strong> <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g><br />

irrigati<strong>on</strong> systems in India in a historical perspective. followed by a brief<br />

discussi<strong>on</strong> <strong>on</strong> the lssues related to deYt.:lllpment <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> irrigati<strong>on</strong> systems at the<br />

nati<strong>on</strong>al level during the plan period as well as a brief sketch <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> lrrigati<strong>on</strong><br />

<strong>development</strong> In Kerala. A critical assessment <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> the problems <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> irrigati<strong>on</strong><br />

<strong>development</strong> in the post-independence period has also been attempted. which<br />

may hopefully help in identit\ing the pl)liC\ dimensi<strong>on</strong>s <strong>for</strong> future <strong>development</strong>.<br />

1.1 Development <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> irrigati<strong>on</strong> systems in India<br />

In India. the history <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> <strong>development</strong> <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> water resources <strong>for</strong> irrigati<strong>on</strong> could be<br />

broadly classified into three distinct phases. viz .. the pre-col<strong>on</strong>ial. col<strong>on</strong>ial <strong>and</strong><br />

post-col<strong>on</strong>ia(! post-independence periods.<br />

1. L 1 Pre-col<strong>on</strong>ial period:<br />

The pre-col<strong>on</strong>ial period witnessed the <strong>development</strong> <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> traditi<strong>on</strong>al modes <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> water<br />

harvesting with greater emphasis <strong>on</strong> indigenous technologies based <strong>on</strong> local<br />

needs <strong>and</strong> locally available resources. The available evidence shows that<br />

developm.:nt <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> such traditi<strong>on</strong>al watn harv.:sting systems was given importance<br />

since the Vedic times as described in the RiKveda <strong>and</strong> also in Kautilya's<br />

Artlw.\u.\lhru. The archival rt:cords <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> tht: Mauryan era reveal that Kalltilya in his<br />

Arllw.\uslhru describt:d that tht: <strong>development</strong> <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> irrigati<strong>on</strong> by c<strong>on</strong>structing<br />

rt:servoirs <strong>and</strong> providing assistanct: \0 private individuals in the <strong>for</strong>m <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> suitable<br />

sites <strong>and</strong> n.:ct:ssary matt:rials to c<strong>on</strong>struct irrigatilln works was <strong>on</strong>e <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> the dlltit:s<br />

<str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> tht: King (Singh. 1997 27) The irrigati<strong>on</strong> structureS <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> the Indus ValleY<br />

Civilisati<strong>on</strong> era were mostly in the <strong>for</strong>m <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> wells, canals <strong>and</strong> tanks <strong>and</strong> were<br />

2

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