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

Eighth Plan has been estimated by the government at 8.7 million man years. A
significant inverse relation between the incidence <strong>of</strong> poverty9 and the extent <strong>of</strong>
irrigation development has been found in several cross-sectional studies based on
agro-climatic zones (Rao el ai, 1988; Saleth. 1997). Furthermore. forward and
backward linkages <strong>of</strong> irrigation development across the regions and sectors tend
to have an impact on employment and income, apart from several multiplier
effects.
1.2 The problems and status <strong>of</strong> irrigation development
In spite <strong>of</strong> the huge investments for the development <strong>of</strong> large-scale canal-based
irrigation projects in the country, the results have not been encouraging enough
in terms <strong>of</strong> achievement <strong>of</strong> irrigation potential on the one hand and the overall
performance <strong>of</strong> irrigation systems on the other. The Sixth Plan document has
admitted that huge investments made in irrigation has yielded disappointingly
low results, as is evident from the national average food production per ha. for
irrigated
lands, which was 1.7 tonnes <strong>of</strong> grain as against 4.5 tonnes at the
international level. Moreover. the gap between irrigation potential created and
utilised over the plan periods. has increased. which has led to the questionable
validity <strong>of</strong> the thrust laid on major and medium irrigation projects. A number <strong>of</strong>
problems and operational level constraints adversely affecting the performance
9 While the incidence <strong>of</strong> poverty is as high as 69 per cent in districts with less than 10
per cent <strong>of</strong> cropped area undn irrigation. it is about 26 per Cellt in districts where
irrigation covers more than 50 p