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

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Though almost all the <strong>farm</strong>ers reporting groundwater recharge have<br />

installed pumpsets to make use <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> groundwater sources <strong>for</strong> irrigati<strong>on</strong>, the extent<br />

<str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> groundwater recharging has not been very much due to various reas<strong>on</strong>s.<br />

Firstly. a major segment <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> the Kallada canal system is fully lined <strong>and</strong> thus, the<br />

seepage <strong>and</strong> percolati<strong>on</strong> loss is less in comparis<strong>on</strong> to the unlined/ earthen canal<br />

system. as reported in the case <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> Peechi project. Sec<strong>on</strong>dly, in many places, the<br />

canal system is c<strong>on</strong>structed through excavating the earth deeper than the surface<br />

level. As a result. there is not much scope <strong>for</strong> groundwater recharge. However, in<br />

the upper reaches <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> the canal system. <strong>farm</strong>ers reported that they are unable to do<br />

any cultivati<strong>on</strong> in the paddy fields due to water logging caused by the canal<br />

seepage. Almost 37 to 44 per cent <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> the <strong>farm</strong>ers have reported <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> having the<br />

MCS networks. mainly hydrants installed in their holdings.<br />

The cropping pattern adopted in the Kallada comm<strong>and</strong> area has its impact<br />

<strong>on</strong> water use <strong>and</strong> management. As could be seen from the data presented in table<br />

6.26, rubber is the major crop accounting <strong>for</strong> 32 per cent <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> the area cultivated.<br />

Rubber does not require irrigati<strong>on</strong> <strong>and</strong> hence. <strong>farm</strong>ers growing rubber do not<br />

show much interest in water management. The irrigated crops, such as vegetable,<br />

arecanut, banana <strong>and</strong> plantain <strong>and</strong> tapioca together account <strong>for</strong> 35 per cent <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> the<br />

cropped area. while the share <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> paddy is <strong>on</strong>ly 11 per cent. Given the typical<br />

agricultural scenario in Kerala. coc<strong>on</strong>ut-based mixed <strong>farm</strong>ing systems are widely<br />

prevalent. The co-existence <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> irrigated <strong>and</strong> rain fed <strong>farm</strong>ing in the culturable<br />

comm<strong>and</strong> area <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> a project has its ramificati<strong>on</strong> <strong>on</strong> the maintenance <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> the water<br />

distributi<strong>on</strong> network, besides OFD works. For instance, the MCS should pass<br />

through large tracts <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> rubber plantati<strong>on</strong>s. Since the rubber growers do not<br />

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