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

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evenue in gross receipts (less working expenses) <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> Rs. 138.3 milli<strong>on</strong>, about Rs.<br />

4.2 per acre (Whitcombe, 1982: 677). It is no doubt that str<strong>on</strong>g foundati<strong>on</strong>s were<br />

laid by the British <strong>for</strong> the massive edifice <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> modern irrigati<strong>on</strong> systems in India.<br />

1.1.3 The Post-independence period:<br />

The irrigati<strong>on</strong> sector witnessed new vistas <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> <strong>development</strong> during the postcol<strong>on</strong>ial<br />

or post-independence period. A major shift in the paradigm <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g><br />

<strong>development</strong> had taken place with the emergence <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> big storage dams. The<br />

increasingly high requirements <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> food by the burge<strong>on</strong>ing populati<strong>on</strong> necessitated<br />

the building <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> dams to exp<strong>and</strong> the irrigated area, besides encouraging <strong>and</strong> using<br />

traditi<strong>on</strong>ally built irrigati<strong>on</strong> systems. This had led to state interventi<strong>on</strong> <strong>on</strong> a larger<br />

scale followed by an explosi<strong>on</strong> in investment in irrigati<strong>on</strong> systems. Subsequently,<br />

the irrigati<strong>on</strong> potential increased from 22.6 milli<strong>on</strong> ha. in 1950 (pre-plan) to 89.6<br />

milli<strong>on</strong> ha. by 1996-97 under major <strong>and</strong> medium irrigati<strong>on</strong> projects (CWe.<br />

1998 ).<br />

The Central Water Commissi<strong>on</strong> has estimated India's total water<br />

availability at 2301 km 3 . Out <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> this. surface water resources are estimated at<br />

1869 km 3 <strong>and</strong> rechargeable groundwater resources at 432 km 3 . It is expected that<br />

o'nly 690 km 3 <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> surface water resources (out <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> 1869 km 3 ) can be utilised by<br />

storage. The estimated water utilisati<strong>on</strong> is expected to be 1122 km 3 . At present.<br />

the storage capacity <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> all dams in Im.!!:l is 174 km 3<br />

The projects under<br />

c<strong>on</strong>structi<strong>on</strong> will have a storage capacity <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> about 75 km' (CWe. 1998). As <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g><br />

now. there are 40 I 0 dams in India, excluding thust: dams under c<strong>on</strong>slructiun.<br />

--------------------------------------------<br />

(l'n7): SCllgupta(19S2; 1985; 1991: 19'),). i\tlSra(I')')3; 1(95).<br />

9

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