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

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water harvesting 7 by arguing that these systems have evolved over time through a<br />

dialectical interacti<strong>on</strong> with the geography, ecology, culture <strong>and</strong> people <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> the area<br />

(Ibid: 15). In c<strong>on</strong>trast, the radical alternatives emphasised that irrigati<strong>on</strong> is an<br />

important factor in agricultural producti<strong>on</strong> <strong>and</strong>. thereby, the social compositi<strong>on</strong>s<br />

<str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> its use. distributi<strong>on</strong> <strong>and</strong> access <strong>and</strong> inter-regi<strong>on</strong>al linkages are very important<br />

c<strong>on</strong>siderati<strong>on</strong>s.<br />

In short, as explained earlier. the col<strong>on</strong>ial state policies in irrigati<strong>on</strong> over<br />

time haye been framed to meet the requirements <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> specific interests. These have<br />

ranged from the need <strong>for</strong> the expansi<strong>on</strong> <strong>and</strong> c<strong>on</strong>solidati<strong>on</strong> <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> empires, the<br />

interests <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> the upper castes <strong>and</strong> the l<strong>and</strong>ed, the col<strong>on</strong>ial revenue <strong>and</strong> allied<br />

requirements <strong>and</strong> in the post independence India the needs <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> the l<strong>and</strong>ed educated<br />

elites like the engineers, bureaucrats. politicians, c<strong>on</strong>tractors <strong>and</strong> industrialists<br />

(Singh. 1997: 239-40)<br />

Thus. it is evident that the British imperialist interest in undertaking<br />

massiye canal c<strong>on</strong>structi<strong>on</strong> activities was mainly guided by the revenue potential<br />

<str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> the irrigati<strong>on</strong> works. For instance. by 1892. the British had c<strong>on</strong>structed nearly<br />

~3800 miles <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> canals <strong>and</strong> distributaries in India irrigating about 13.4 milli<strong>on</strong><br />

acres at a capital cost <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> Rs. 382.6 milli<strong>on</strong>. yielding a net revenue <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> 4 to 5 per<br />

cent per annum <strong>on</strong> the investmcnt (Singh. 1')')7). By 1945-46. about 7~656 miles<br />

01 canais <strong>and</strong> distributaries ,cr\cd ahout 32.X milli<strong>on</strong> acres. <strong>on</strong>e quarter <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g><br />

India's cropped area. i\ total "I I{s. 1 )~.f<br />

milli<strong>on</strong> had been expel1lkd nn the<br />

syst

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